Funded Projects

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Project # Project Title Research Focus Area Research Program Administering IC Institution(s) Investigator(s) Location(s) Year Awarded
1UG3DA050311-01
Mu Opioid Receptor Modulator Development to Treat Opioid Use Disorder Novel Therapeutic Options for Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose Focusing Medication Development to Prevent and Treat Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose NIDA Virginia Commonwealth University Zhang, Yan Richmond, VA 2019
NOFO Title: Development of Medications to Prevent and Treat Opioid Use Disorders and Overdose (UG3/UH3) (Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-DA-19-002
Summary:

There is a need to develop a mu-opioid receptor (MOR) treatment with enhanced therapeutic effects and reduced undesirable effects. Recently, several highly selective and potent MOR modulators have been identified as novel leads for opioid use disorder treatment. They all showed more promising pharmacological profiles compared to other known drugs in this category. The current proposal will focus on further development of these leads for preclinical IND-enabling studies and dynamic drug discovery and development pipeline construction. This project plans to further validate therapeutic profiles of the current leads with self-administration and pharmacokinetic studies and expand the small-molecule library to build a dynamic drug discovery and development pipeline. Preclinical IND-enabling studies on the identified lead(s) will be conducted, and in vivo pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics profiles of the new hits will be compared with current leads to define the next generation of lead compound(s).
1UG3DA054785-01A1
Development of Specific Mu Opioid Receptor Antagonists to Reverse the Acute and Chronic Toxicity of Fentanyls Novel Therapeutic Options for Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose Focusing Medication Development to Prevent and Treat Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose NIDA Virginia Commonwealth University ZHANG, YAN Richmond, Virginia 2022
NOFO Title: Development of Medications to Prevent and Treat Opioid Use Disorders and Overdose (UG3/UH3) (Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: PAR-20-092
Summary:

Fentanyl and its analogs are synthetic opioids that are 100 to 10,000 times more potent than morphine. Overdose from these opioids is extremely dangerous due to their ultra-potency and longer half-life than naloxone, the front-line treatment for fentanyl overdose. This research study will develop novel mu opioid receptor antagonists that bind to the same receptor as the opioid drugs and specifically counteract fentanyl and its analogs, thereby reversing the drugs’ acute toxicity more effectively and with fewer side effects than current treatments. The researchers will characterize novel fentanyl derivatives, identify promising compounds, and pursue preclinical development of these compounds as novel reversal agents against the acute toxicity of fentanyl. The goal is to file an Investigational New Drug application with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
1R61NS131188-01
Development of LPA5 Antagonists as Analgesics Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management Development and Optimization of Non-Addictive Therapies to Treat Pain NINDS RESEARCH TRIANGLE INSTITUTE ZHANG, YANAN (contact); LI, JUN-XU; TAO, YUAN-XIANG Research Triangle Park, NC 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Non-addictive Analgesic Therapeutics Development [Small Molecules and Biologics] to Treat Pain (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-21-010
Summary:

Neuropathic pain is a debilitating and complex medical condition for which safe and non-addictive treatment options are urgently needed. Preliminary studies have found that lysophosphatidic acid receptor 5 (LPA5) is present in areas of the body that signal pain, including at high levels in rodent models of neuropathic pain. This project will use genetic and pharmacological approaches to determine whether blocking LPA5 signaling reduces neuropathic pain toward future testing in humans.  
1R61DA059947-01
Developing and Testing Innovative Care Pathways for Screening and Treatment of OUD/PTSD in Jails Translation of Research to Practice for the Treatment of Opioid Addiction Optimizing the Quality, Reach, and Impact of Addiction Services NIDA UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS FOR MEDICAL SCIENCES ZIELINSKI, MELISSA JEAN (contact); ZALLER, NICKOLAS D Little Rock, AR 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Translating Research to Practice to End the Overdose Crisis (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-DA-23-053
Summary:

Many people in jail have both opioid use disorder (OUD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Among people with OUD released from jail, only few engage in treatment and medication therapy once they are back in the community, and opioid overdose is a leading cause of death in this population. This project will test whether identifying and initiating treatment of PTSD in people receiving OUD treatment in jail can increase these individuals’ likelihood of starting and staying in medication treatment after release and thus reduce overdose risk.
1R43DA049620-01
NeoGUARD: An easy-to-use, low-cost brain monitor for objective screening and treatment of opioid-exposed infants Cross-Cutting Research Small Business Programs NIDA NEUROWAVE SYSTEMS, INC. Zikov, Tatjana None Cleveland Hights, OH 2019
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: America’s Startups and Small Businesses Build Technologies to Stop the Opioid Crisis (R43/R44 - Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-DA-19-019
Summary:

Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS) affects a growing number of neonates each year due to the ongoing opioid epidemic ravaging the United States. Complex neurobehavioral observation of newborns is the primary modality used. It is subjective and time-consuming by nature, requires significant expertise, and can lead to delays in treatment. The goal of this project is to develop an innovative, low-cost, non-invasive, and easy-to-use brain monitor to objectively assess the severity of withdrawal symptoms in newborns exposed to opioids and provide evidence-based decision support to care providers to improve both short- and long-term developmental outcomes. This device, referred to as NeoGUARD, is based on the continuous, automated, and real-time monitoring of brain function to detect EEG abnormalities shown to be related to NOWS and determine severity to guide pharmacological intervention. This study will focus on the initial prototyping and refinement of the hardware and software, as well as initial evaluations of its use.