Can oxytocin curb opioid abuse? new study investigates
NCT ID NCT04218409
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This early-phase study at the University of Florida is testing whether combining oxytocin (a nasal spray) with the opioid oxycodone can reduce pain while lowering the drug's abuse potential. Forty-five healthy adults who have used opioids recreationally will take part in six lab sessions. Researchers will measure pain relief, subjective effects, and brain activity to see if the combination works better than either drug alone.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- oxytocin nasal spray and oxycodone oral tablets
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could point toward a way to make opioid painkillers safer and less addictive.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very early, small lab study in healthy recreational users, not patients with chronic pain. Results may not translate to real-world use.
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
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Early phase 1
The earliest testing in people: a first look at safety, in a very small group.
- Participants
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About 45 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Sep 2021
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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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
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21 to 45 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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: * Individuals fluent in English will participate. * Must report recreational use of opioids. * Be within 20% of their ideal body weight. * Are not currently experiencing chronic pain (pain on most days during the past 3 months) * Have a systolic blood pressure of \<=140 and diastolic blood pressure of \<= 90, and a heart rate \<= 90 beats per minute. * Participants must also have a normal electrocardiogram (EKG) reading and bloodwork indicating no major health contraindications. Exclusion criteria: * Significant current physical disease or major psychiatric disorder. * No self-reported current interest in drug abuse treatment. * Women who are pregnant or nursing. * Any comorbid illicit substance use disorders or current clinically significant withdrawal for any abused drug excluding nicotine and caffeine. * Any conditions that preclude safety in the MRI scanner, such as: implanted electrical devices (e.g., cardiac pacemaker, neurostimulator); implanted metallic clips or pins (e.g., aneurysm clip); a history of working with metal (unless able to demonstrate participant is MRI safe), and claustrophobia.
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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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
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University of Florida
RECRUITINGGainesville, Florida, 32611, United States
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