New pill for opioid addiction heads to first human tests
NCT ID NCT06808932
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This early-stage study tests a new oral medication called VK4-116 in 48 healthy adults to see if it is safe and how the body processes it. The drug is being developed as a potential treatment for opioid dependence and opioid use disorder. Participants will receive a single dose of the drug or a placebo, and researchers will monitor for side effects and measure drug levels in the blood.
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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Phase 1
The first testing in people. Mainly checks safety and dose, usually in a small group.
- Participants
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About 48 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Aug 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Aug 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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A government research agency
The lead sponsor is the US National Institutes of Health.
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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18 to 60 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: 1. Be a healthy male or female volunteer between 18 and 60 years of age, inclusive, at the time of consent. • The masculine / feminine gender is used without any discrimination and with the aim to lighten the text. 2. Have a body mass index (BMI) within a range of 17.0 to 36.0 kg/m2 and a minimum weight of at least 50.0 kg at screening. 3. Be able to verbalize understanding of consent form, able to provide written informed consent, and verbalize willingness to complete study procedures. 4. Have no clinically significant concurrent medical conditions determined by medical history, physical examination, clinical laboratory examination, vital signs, and 12-lead ECG. 5. A female study participant must meet one of the following criteria: * If of childbearing potential - agrees to use one of the accepted contraceptive regimens from at least 30 days prior to the first administration of the study medication, during the study, and for at least 30 days after the last dose of the study medication. An acceptable method of contraception includes one of the following: i. abstinence from heterosexual intercourse, ii. hormonal contraceptives (e.g., injectable/implant/insertable hormonal birth control products, transdermal patch), iii. intrauterine device (with or without hormones). OR agrees to use a double barrier method (e.g., condom and spermicide) during the study and for at least 30 days after the last dose of the study medication. * If a female of non-childbearing potential - should be surgically sterile (i.e., has undergone complete hysterectomy, bilateral oophorectomy, or tubal ligation/occlusion) or in a menopausal state (at least 1 year without menses), as confirmed by follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels (≥40 mIU/mL). A male study participant that engages in sexual activity must agree to use a double barrier method (e.g., condom and spermicide) and agree to not donate sperm during the study and for at least 90 days after the last dose of the study medication. 6. Be able and willing to comply with protocol requirements and the rules and regulations of the study site, and be likely to complete all the study treatments. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Have any clinically significant finding within one year of Screening on medical history, physical examination, complete neurological examination, clinical laboratory test, vital signs or ECGs that contraindicate participation in the study. This includes, but is not limited to, history of or current cardiac, hepatic, renal, neurologic, gastrointestinal (GI), pulmonary, endocrinologic, hematologic, or immunologic disease or history of malignancy. 2. Use nicotine products via smoking/vaping in past 6 months. 3. Have a sitting systolic blood pressure (BP) \>140 mmHg, diastolic BP \>90 mmHg and heart rate (HR) \<45 or \>100 beats per minute (BPM) at screening and clinic intake. 4. History of unstable angina; a history of myocardial infarction; or a history of a clinically significant cardiac arrhythmia, 5. Has a QT interval corrected for heart rate using Fredericia formula \>450 milliseconds in males or \>470 milliseconds in females, or evidence of left bundle branch blocks (Note: right bundle branch block is acceptable), second or third degree AV block, or evidence of left ventricular hypertrophy on ECG 6. Have a history of liver disease or current elevation of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), 2 × the upper limit of normal (ULN). 7. Have a history of renal disease or current renal function test values as follows: * blood urea nitrogen (BUN) \>2 × ULN, * creatinine (Cr) \>1.5 mg/dL. 8. Have donated blood (excluding plasma donation) of approximately 500 mL within 56 days prior to screening. 9. Have donated plasma within 7 days prior to screening. 10. Have hemoglobin value of \<13 g/dL for men and \<12 g/dL for women. 11. Have undergone treatment with an investigational drug within 30 days or 5 times the half-life (whichever is longer) prior to screening. 12. Have taken prescribed medications within 14 days of Day -1 or over-the-counter medications, dietary supplements, herbal products, or vitamins within 7 days or 5 half-lives (if known), whichever is longer, of Day -1. 13. Have a positive urine drug test for alcohol, opioids (e.g., codeine, heroin, fentanyl, morphine, oxycodone, etc.), cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), benzodiazepines, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), barbiturates, propoxyphene, or phencyclidine/phenylcyclohexyl piperidine (PCP) at admission. 14. Have a history of suicide attempts or current or recent evidence of suicidal ideation in the past 12 months based on the Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). 15. Have a positive serology for Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), Hepatitis C antibody (HCVAb), or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). 16. Have positive results for a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) test. 17. Have a history of anaphylaxis and known allergy to any drug formulation. 18. Have a history of consumption of any product containing grapefruit, pomelo, Seville oranges, or alcohol within 7 days before study drug dosing on Day 1. 19. Have consumed any product containing caffeine or xanthine within 24 hours before study drug dosing on Day 1
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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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Altasciences Clinical Kansas
Overland Park, Kansas, 66212, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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