Can a better antidote stop opioid overdoses faster?
NCT ID NCT05338632
First seen Jul 29, 2026 · Last updated Jul 30, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study investigates how effectively two opioid antidotes—naloxone (given as a nasal spray or injection) and nalmefene (given as an injection)—can reverse dangerous breathing problems caused by strong opioids like fentanyl. The trial includes both healthy volunteers and people who use opioids regularly, aiming to find the best doses for real-life overdose situations.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- naloxone and nalmefene (opioid antagonists)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to better dosing guidelines for reversing opioid overdoses, potentially saving more lives.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-phase study with a small number of participants, so results may not apply to all real-world overdose situations.
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
-
58 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jun 2022
- Finished
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Mar 2026
- 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 70 years
- Sex
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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: Healthy volunteers 1. Signed the informed consent form (ICF) and able to comply with the study requirements and restrictions listed therein; 2. Male and female subjects, age 18 to 70 years, inclusive; 3. Women of childbearing potential (defined as all women who are not surgically sterile or postmenopausal for at least 1 year prior to informed consent) must have a negative serum pregnancy test prior to enrolment and must agree to use a medically acceptable means of contraception from screening through at least 1 month after the last dose of study drug; 4. Body Mass Index (BMI) 18 to 30 kg/m2, inclusive; 5. Healthy as defined by the Investigator, based on a medical evaluation that includes the subject's medical and surgical history, physical examination, vital signs, lab chemistry: estimated glomerular filtration rate \>60 mL/min as estimated by the CKD-EPI equation, and AST or ALT levels \< 3.0 times the upper limit of normal at screening, and negative serology tests for HIV, acute hepatitis B, or acute hepatitis C; 6. No history of substance use disorder; Chronic opioid users 1. Signed the consent form and able to comply with the requirements and restrictions listed therein; 2. Males or females age 18 to 70 years, inclusive; 3. Women of childbearing potential (defined as all women who are not surgically sterile or postmenopausal for at least 1 year prior to informed consent) must have a negative serum pregnancy test prior to enrolment and must agree to use a medically acceptable means of contraception from screening through at least 1 3 month after the last dose of study drug. 4. BMI 18 to 32 kg/m2, inclusive; 5. Opioid tolerant patients administered prescription opioids at daily doses ≥ 60 mg oral morphine equivalents (See Table 3); 6. Stable as defined by the Investigator, based on a medical evaluation that includes the subject's medical and surgical history, physical examination, vital signs, 12-lead ECG, hematology, and blood chemistry; Exclusion Criteria: Healthy volunteers 1. Currently meet the criteria for diagnosis of substance use disorder according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-5 criteria on any substance; 2. Any other active medical condition, organ disease or concurrent medication or treatment that may either compromise subject safety or interfere with study endpoints; 3. Consume, on average, \>27 20 units/week of alcohol in men and \> 20 13 units/week of alcohol in women (1 unit = 1 glass (250 mL) beer, 125 mL glass of wine or 25 mL of 40% spirit); 4. Previous or current treatment with opioid agonist, partial agonist, or antagonist treatment within 30 days prior to the first study drug administration; 5. Significant traumatic injury, major surgery, or open biopsy within the prior 4 weeks of informed consent; 6. History of suicidal ideation within 30 days prior to informed consent or history of a suicide attempt in the 6 months prior to informed consent; 7. Measured systolic blood pressure greater than 160 or less than 95 mmHg or diastolic pressure greater than 95 mmHg at screening; 8. History or presence of allergic response to fentanyl, sufentanil or naloxone; 9. Subjects who have demonstrated allergic reactions (e.g., food, drug, atopic reactions or asthmatic episodes) which, in the opinion of the Investigator and sponsor, interfere with their ability to participate in the trial; 10. Treatment with another investigational drug within 3 months prior to dosing or having participated in more than 4 investigational drug studies within 1 year prior to screening; 11. Site staff or subjects affiliated with, or a family member of, site staff directly involved in the study; Chronic opioid users 1. Currently meet the criteria for diagnosis of moderate or severe substance use disorder according to the DSM-5 criteria on any substances other than opioids, caffeine, or nicotine; 2. Any active medical condition, organ disease or concurrent medication or treatment that may either compromise subject safety or interfere with study endpoints; 3. Consume, on average, \>27 units/week of alcohol in men and \>20 units/week of alcohol in women (1 unit = 1 glass (250 mL) beer, 125 mL glass of wine or 25 mL of 40% spirit); 4. Currently receiving medication-assisted treatment for the treatment of opioid-use disorder; 5. Significant traumatic injury, major surgery, or open biopsy within the prior 4 weeks of informed consent; 6. History of suicidal ideation within 30 days prior to informed consent or history of a suicide attempt in the 6 months prior to informed consent; 7. Measured systolic blood pressure greater than 160 or less than 95 mmHg or diastolic pressure greater than 95 mmHg at screening; 8. History or presence of allergic response to study medication; 9. Opioid tolerant patients who have demonstrated allergic reactions (e.g., food, drug, atopic reactions or asthmatic episodes) which, in the opinion of the Investigator and sponsor, interfere with their ability to participate in the trial. 10. Estimated glomerular filtration rate \<60 mL/min as estimated by the CKD-EPI equation; 11. Anemia at screening or donation of \> 250 mL of blood or plasma within the last 3 months; 12. Positive serology tests for HIV, acute hepatitis B, or acute hepatitis C (OT patients with asymptomatic hepatitis B or C infection may be enrolled); 13. AST or ALT levels \>3.0 times the upper limit of normal at screening; 14. Treatment with another investigational drug within 3 months prior to dosing or having participated in more than 4 investigational drug studies within 1 year prior to screening; 15. Site staff or subjects affiliated with, or a family member of, site staff directly involved in the study.
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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
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Leiden University Medical Center
Leiden, South Holland, 2333 ZA, Netherlands
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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