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Could a tiny dose of naltrexone ease vasculitis symptoms?

NCT ID NCT03482479

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested whether a low dose (4.5 mg) of naltrexone, a drug already used for alcoholism, can improve physical health and quality of life in people with vasculitis. Sixty participants took either the drug or a placebo daily for six weeks. The goal was to see if the drug led to better self-reported physical health compared to placebo.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
low dose naltrexone (4.5 mg daily)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could offer a safe, low-cost option to improve physical health and quality of life for people with vasculitis.
What could go wrong
This is a small pilot study with only 60 participants. The main outcome is self-reported, and the placebo effect can be strong. It may not show a clear benefit.

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 2

Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.

Participants

60 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Feb 2019

Finished

Dec 2025

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show 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: Patients must meet all of the following criteria in order to be eligible for enrollment: 1\. Criteria for diagnosis of giant cell arteritis (GCA), Takayasu's arteritis (TAK), polyarteritis nodosa (PAN), granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA, Wegener's), microscopic polyangiitis (MPA), or eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA, Churg-Strauss), as used for the VCRC longitudinal studies a. Giant cell arteritis: According to the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria for classification of GCA, meeting at least 2 of the following 5 remaining criteria at the time of diagnosis of GCA: Age of disease onset \>50 years (required) i. New onset or new type of localized pain in the head ii. Temporal artery abnormality (i.e. temporal artery tenderness to palpation or decreased pulsation, unrelated to arteriosclerosis of cervical arteries) iii. ESR of \>40 mm in the first hour by Westergren method iv. Temporal artery biopsy showing vasculitis characterized by a predominance of mononuclear cell infiltration or granulomatous inflammation, usually with multinucleated giant cells v. Large Vessel Vasculitis (LVV) by angiogram or biopsy not explained by something else b. Takayasu's arteritis: According to an adaption of the American College of Rheumatology criteria, meeting at least 2 of the following 5 remaining criteria at the time of inclusion of TAK: Arteriogram abnormalities compatible with TAK (includes conventional dye angiography or MR angiography or CT angiography) (required) i. Age at disease onset ≤50 years ii. Claudication of extremities iii. Decreased brachial artery pulse (one or both arteries) iv. Blood pressure difference of \>10mm Hg between the arms v. Bruit over subclavian arteritis or aorta c. Polyarteritis nodosa: An adaption of the America College of Rheumatology criteria will be used for the diagnosis of PAN. At the time of inclusion, one major and one minor criteria or two major criteria or isolated cutaneous PAN must be met. i. Major criteria (not explained by other causes): 1. Arteriographic abnormality 2. Presence of granulocyte or mixed leukocyte infiltrate in an arterial wall on biopsy 3. Mononeuropathy or polyneuropathy ii. Minor criteria (not explained by other causes) 1\. Weight loss \> 4 kg 2. Livedo reticularis, cutaneous ulcerations, or skin nodules 3. Testicular pain or tenderness 4. Myalgias 5. Diastolic blood pressure \>90mm Hg 6. Elevated BUN or serum creatinine levels 7. Ischemic abdominal pain iii. Isolated cutaneous polyarteritis nodosa 1. Biopsy-proven cutaneous PAN d. Granulomatosis with polyangiitis: Participants can be enrolled if two of the five modified American College of Rheumatology criteria are met: i. Nasal or oral inflammation: painful or painless oral ulcers or purulent or blood nasal discharge ii. Abnormal chest radiograph: nodules, fixed infiltrates, or cavities iii. Urinary sediment: microhematuria or red cell casts iv. Granulomatous inflammation on biopsy: granulomatous inflammation within the wall of an artery or in the perivascular area v. ANCA positivity by enzyme immunoassay for either PR3- or MPO-ANCA e. Microscopic polyangiitis: The following Chapel Hill Consensus Conference Definitions for MPA need to be met: i. Necrotizing vasculitis with few or no immune deposits affects small vessel (i.e., capillaries, venules, or arterioles) ii. Necrotizing arteritis involving small and medium-sized arteritis may be present iii. Necrotizing glomerulonephritis is very common iv. Pulmonary capillaritis often occurs f. Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis: An adaptation of the American College of Rheumatology criteria will be used for the diagnosis of EGPA. At the time of inclusion, four of the six items must have documented evidence: i. Asthma ii. Peak peripheral blood eosinophilia of \>10% of total WBC iii. Peripheral neuropathy attributable to vasculitis iv. Transient pulmonary infiltrates on chest imaging studies v. Paranasal sinus abnormalities or nasal polyposis vi. Eosinophilic inflammation on tissue biopsy If patients have 4 of the above 6 criteria but lack clear-cut documentation of small vessel vasculitis, they are also eligible for enrollment. 2. Baseline normalized score on PROMIS Global Physical Health of 40 or lower. 3. Vasculitis in remission or very low disease activity, as defined by Physician Global Assessment 0-1 for at least 12 weeks 4. Stable immunosuppressive therapy (including prednisone) related to vasculitis for at least 12 weeks 5. No change in medications in the past 12 weeks made with the expectation of improving pain, fatigue, or mood 6. No plan to change medication or a non-pharmacologic treatment regimen likely to affect pain, fatigue, mood, or vasculitis activity during the next 12 weeks 7. Age of 18 years or older 8. Willingness and ability to comply with treatment and follow-up procedures, including receipt of weekly phone calls from the study coordinator 9. Willingness and ability to provide informed consent - Exclusion Criteria: 1. Change in any medication related to control of vasculitis, pain, fatigue, or mood within the past 12 weeks (medications taken as needed must be in a stable pattern per the patient's estimation) 2. Use of another investigational agent as part of a clinical trial within 30 days of enrollment 3. Current use of any opioid agonist including tramadol or suboxone 4. Change in vasculitis activity in the past 12 weeks, as defined by a change in Physician Global Assessment greater than 1 5. Baseline normalized score more than 40 on PROMIS Global Physical Health 6. New major medical problem or surgery in past 12 weeks 7. Pregnancy or breastfeeding 8. Inability to provide informed consent or comply with study procedures 9. Schizophrenia or bipolar disorder 10. Poorly controlled depression or anxiety, as defined by a score of ≥ 20 on PHQ-9 11. Liver cirrhosis 12. Significant kidney disease, defined as glomerular filtration rate \<30ml/min

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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

  • Brigham and Women's Hospital

    Boston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States

  • Cleveland Clinic

    Cleveland, Ohio, 44195, United States

  • Mayo Clinic

    Rochester, Minnesota, 55905, United States

  • St. Joseph's Healthcare

    Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

  • University of Pennsylvania

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States

  • University of Pittsburgh

    Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15260, United States

  • University of Utah

    Salt Lake City, Utah, 84112, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.