UnityPhilly app to help bystanders find and reverse opioid overdoses
Official title: UnityPhilly Response App for Overdose Reversal: Assessing Citywide Effectiveness and Sustainability
Run by Drexel University · NCT06466005 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test whether the UnityPhilly smartphone app helps trained community members and people affected by opioid use in Philadelphia respond to and reverse opioid overdoses.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 450 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Drexel University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | September 16, 2025 |
| Main results expected | December 2027 |
| Study ends | July 2028 |
| Registry record updated | July 20, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06466005 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are adults (18+) who live or work in one of the three targeted Philadelphia neighborhoods and own a smartphone with a data plan, including people who use opioids, those in recovery, caregivers, or concerned community members.
✕Probably not a fit
People who do not live or work in the specified neighborhoods, lack a smartphone with data, or are under 18 are unlikely to benefit from this program.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This observational behavioral project will enroll 450 participants from three Philadelphia neighborhoods across five self-identified groups (active non-medical opioid users, prescription opioid users, people in recovery, caregivers/family members, and concerned community members). All participants receive the UnityPhilly app, naloxone, and training on how to use the app and respond to an opioid overdose; there is no control group. The team will redevelop the app for better usability, then follow participants for 12 months to track app signal rates relative to EMS calls and successful naloxone reversals relative to responder arrivals. Outcomes will be measured annually to see whether signals and successful reversals increase over time.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the app could increase bystander naloxone responses and reduce fatal opioid overdoses in participating neighborhoods.
How similar studies have gone: A prior R34 pilot of the UnityPhilly app has been conducted, but evidence for large-scale effectiveness of citizen-responder overdose apps remains limited.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * owning a smartphone with a data package; * living or working in one of three identified Philadelphia neighborhoods; * aged 18 or older. Exclusion Criteria: * persons aged under 18 years of age
Where it's running
-
Drexel University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Stephen Lankenau, PhD — Drexel University
- Study coordinator: Stephen Lankenau, PhD
- Email: sel59@drexel.edu
- Phone: 323-326-6438
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
Bundled telehealth, peer support, and buprenorphine after ED discharge to prevent opioid overdoses
This trial tests a bundled approach with telehealth, peer support, buprenorphine, and care linkage to see if it helps people who have overdosed and were discharged from the ED continue treatment and avoid repeat overdoses.
-
Volunteer first responders delivering naloxone to suspected opioid overdoses
This project will try a smartphone-based system that alerts trained volunteer responders carrying naloxone to help people aged 15 and older during suspected opioid overdoses.
-
Community-based program for youth with opioid use disorder
This study is testing a community program that helps young people with opioid use disorder get better treatment and support to see if it keeps them engaged in recovery and reduces overdoses.
How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.