Can two drugs beat opioid relapse? new trial aims to find out
NCT ID NCT05011266
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether adding buprenorphine (a partial opioid) to the standard shot XR-naltrexone helps people with opioid use disorder stay in treatment and avoid relapse. 180 adults will receive either the combo or a placebo for 24 weeks. The goal is to see if the combo improves retention, reduces cravings, and boosts mood.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- buprenorphine/naloxone (Zubsolv) combined with extended-release naltrexone
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this combination could help people with opioid use disorder stay in treatment longer and reduce cravings and relapse.
- What could go wrong
- This is a mid-stage trial with only 180 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. Adding buprenorphine to naltrexone is a new approach and may not improve outcomes.
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 2/3
Runs two stages together: whether the treatment works, then large-scale confirmation.
- Participants
-
About 180 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Apr 2023
- Expected to finish
-
Jan 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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 to 65 years
- 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 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: * Individuals between the ages of 18-65 (inclusive) interested in antagonist-based relapse prevention treatment * Meets current DSM-5 criteria for current opioid use disorder of at least six months duration supported by urine toxicology positive for opioids OR positive naloxone challenge (defined by 3-point increase in COWS) if seeking detoxification and XR-NTX induction OR confirmed recent detoxification treatment for opioids. * In otherwise good health based on complete medical history, physical examination, vital signs measurement, ECG, and laboratory tests (hematology, blood chemistry, urinalysis) with no clinically significant abnormalities * Participants who completed detoxification and received XR-NTX are eligible for the study. Participants may be enrolled up to 2 weeks following an initial XR-NTX injection given in any outside research or community-based treatment setting (inpatient, outpatient residential). * Seeking treatment for opioid use disorder, willing to accept treatment with XR-NTX and, in the judgment of the treating physician, is a good candidate for naltrexone-based treatment. * Voluntarily seeking treatment for opioid use disorder. * Able to give written informed consent to participate in the study and showing a thorough understanding of the difference between agonist and antagonist-based treatment. Exclusion Criteria: * Methadone maintenance within 2 weeks of XR-NTX induction or any use of methadone in the week prior to XR-NTX induction * Maintenance on buprenorphine or frequent buprenorphine use in the week prior to XR-NTX induction (must be using no more than 8 mg of buprenorphine per day for no more than 3 days per week). If consenting after initial XR-NTX injection, any use of buprenorphine since XR-NTX induction is exclusionary. * Serious medical, psychiatric or substance use disorder that, in the opinion of the study physician, would make a detoxification and naltrexone initiation, or maintenance treatment with XR-NTX in combination with buprenorphine, hazardous (relative contraindications) or requires a different level of care. Examples include: 1. Disabling or terminal medical illness (e.g., uncompensated heart failure, severe acute hepatitis, cirrhosis or end-stage liver disease) as assessed by medical history and/or review of systems. 2. Severe, untreated or inadequately treated mental disorder (e.g., active psychosis, uncontrolled manic-depressive illness) as assessed by history and/or clinical interview. 3. Current severe alcohol, benzodiazepine, or other depressant or sedative hypnotic use likely to require a complicated medical detoxification (routine alcohol and sedative detoxifications may be included). 4. Suicidal or homicidal * AST/ALT \> 3x normal limit * Pregnancy, lactation, or a plan of becoming pregnant. Women need to have negative blood pregnancy test at screening and agree to practice dual contraceptives. * Physiological dependence on alcohol or sedative-hypnotics with impending withdrawal. Other substance use diagnoses are not exclusionary. * History of allergic or adverse reaction to buprenorphine, naltrexone, naloxone, clonidine, or clonazepam. * Painful medical condition that requires ongoing opioid analgesia or anticipated surgery necessitating opioid medications. * Individuals above 60 with possible early cognitive decline or other neurodegenerative conditions as evidenced by a score of less than 25 on a Mini Mental Status Exam screen. * Participants who had 30 or more opioid-free days prior to randomization will not be eligible. * Participants more than 2 weeks following an initial XR-NTX injection (given in any outside research or community-based treatment setting, for example inpatient, outpatient residential).
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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Avery Road Treatment Center (ARTC)
RECRUITINGRockville, Maryland, 20853, United States
-
Stars/Nyspi
TERMINATEDNew York, New York, 10019, 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?