New implant could help fight opioid addiction
NCT ID NCT06216132
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This early-stage study tested a new implant that slowly releases naltrexone, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder. The implant is placed under the skin and left for three months. The trial involved 16 healthy adults to check safety and how the drug enters the bloodstream. It is a first step toward a potential treatment that could help people stay on medication without daily pills or injections.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- naltrexone implant (extended-release naltrexone in a biodegradable implant)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this implant could provide a long-lasting, steady-dose treatment option for opioid use disorder, potentially improving adherence and reducing relapse risk.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early Phase 1 safety study in only 16 healthy adults, not people with opioid use disorder. It does not test effectiveness, and the implant requires insertion and removal procedures.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 1
The first testing in people. Mainly checks safety and dose, usually in a small group.
- Participants
-
16 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
-
Jun 2024
- Finished
-
Apr 2025
- Lead sponsor
-
A company
The lead sponsor is a pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical-device company.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 to 55 years
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: Subjects must meet all of the following criteria to be included in the study: * Healthy male or female volunteer, aged 18-to-55 years, inclusive. * BMI must be between 18 and 32 kg/m2 (inclusive) and weigh a minimum of 50 kg (110 lbs). * If female, be postmenopausal (at least 2 years prior to dosing) or agree to use an acceptable form of birth control from screening until 12 weeks after dosing. Subjects who claim postmenopausal status will have status confirmed with a follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) test. Acceptable forms of birth control for females include the following: * Vasectomized partner (at least 6 months prior to dosing) * Surgical sterilization (bilateral tubal ligation, hysterectomy, bilateral oophorectomy) at least 6 months prior to dosing * Non-surgical permanent sterilization (eg, Essure procedure) at least 3 months prior to dosing. * Abstinence (must agree to use a double barrier method if they become sexually active during the study) * Double barrier (diaphragm with spermicide; condoms with spermicide) * Oral hormonal contraceptives * Not Breast feeding * Negative tests for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), Hepatitis C antibody, Hepatitis B surface antigen, and Covid * Able and willing to comply with the requirements of the protocol * Able and willing to provide written informed consent * Willing to undergo a minor surgical procedure under local anesthetic to allow for investigational drug administration in the subcutaneous tissue * Agree to avoid blunt trauma to the implantation site * Agree that after implantation, not to shower for 2 days and not to bathe/swim for 4 weeks Exclusion Criteria: Subjects must have none of the exclusion criteria to be included in the study. * Clinically significant abnormal finding on the physical exam, medical history, electrocardiogram (EKG), or clinical laboratory results at screening. In particular, values of liver function tests (ALT, AST, bilirubin, albumin, GGT) and kidney function tests (creatinine, blood urea nitrogen) and reticulocytes shall not deviate by more than 25% from the ranges of normal. * Blood pressure: systolic \>140 mmHg, diastolic \>90 mmHg. \[Europe Soc Hypertension guidelines\] * Heart rate: \>100 beats/minute. * Hemoglobin for female \<11.5 and for male \<12.5 are excluded. * Have a known or suspected history or family history of adverse reactions or hypersensitivity to the study drugs or to drugs with a similar chemical structure. * History or presence of gastrointestinal, hepatic or renal disease, or other condition known to interfere with the absorption, distribution, metabolism or excretion of drugs. * Is on anticoagulant medications other than aspirin or NSAIDs. Agree to stop aspirin or NSAIDs 1 week prior to Biopin 6 implantation * Used any over-the-counter (OTC) medication, nutritional or dietary supplements, herbal preparations, or vitamins within 7 days prior to the first dose of medication. * Used any prescription medication within 14 days prior to the first dose of study medication. * More than moderate drinking averaged over the last month as assessed by history: o Moderate drinking is here defined as up to 3 drinks per week. The standard drink will be defined by the guidelines of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and will contain no more than 14 g of alcohol. * Smoking: Use of tobacco or nicotine-containing products within the 3-month period preceding study drug administration is exclusionary. * Positive urine drug screen for amphetamines, barbiturates, benzodiazepines, cocaine, opiates, cannabinoids, phencyclidine, propoxyphene, methadone, methaqualone, and alcohol at the screening and Day -1 tests. * Any methadone use 14 days prior to screening, and up to Study Day -1. * Has had a naltrexone implant in the past 24 months. * Has received treatment with an extended naltrexone product (e.g. Vivitrol) in the past 12 months. * Fails the naloxone challenge test * Has a condition which requires treatment with opioid based medication. * Has a known hypersensitivity to naltrexone. * Has a known hypersensitivity to materials based on poly-d-l Lactic Acid and polycaprolactone (e.g. biodegradable sutures, surgical implants or previous biodegradable implants). * Has a known hypersensitivity to local anesthesia. * Is prone to skin rashes, irritation or has a skin condition such as recurrent eczema that is likely to impact the implant site area, or as determined by the evaluating physician. * Is known to form keloids at the site of skin injury. * Demonstrates any abnormal skin tissue in the proposed implantation area * Previous surgery to the upper abdominal wall * Donated blood or plasma within 30 days prior to the first dose of study medication. * Participated in another clinical trial within 30 days prior to the first dose of study medication. * Is participating or intending to participate in any other clinical trial during the duration of this study. * Any elevated risk for suicide measured using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale, endorsing any of the items in the past month (C-SSRS, Lifetime) * Not as much as "mild" depression as measured by the HAM-D17 test: HAM-D17 score must be 0-10. * Any additional condition(s) that in the investigator's opinion would prohibit the participant from completing the study or would not be in the best interest of the participant.
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Opioid use disorder are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
JBR Clinical Research
Salt Lake City, Utah, 84107, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Can exercise boost brain and body health during opioid treatment?
- Can a new drug calm the storm of opioid withdrawal?
- Can coaching turn rural clinics into One-Stop shops for addiction and infectious disease care?
- Can a Phone-Based platform keep people in opioid treatment?
- A safety net after jail: can checkups keep opioid treatment on track?
- Can AI and peer support close the opioid treatment gap?