NCI Tech Opportunity Webinar: Novel Small Molecule Targets Dopamine D3 Receptor to Treat Opioid & Other Substance Use Disorders

Register to attend a free NIH webinar. Attendees will learn about a new non-opioid small molecule for treating Opioid Use and Substance Use Disorders by selectively targeting the Dopamine D3 receptor. Dr. Amy Newman and her team at the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), along with researchers from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), discovered this new molecule and have advanced its development toward an upcoming clinical trial, to also include an Investigative New Drug (IND) designation. About the Featured Technology: Use of opioids, cocaine and amphetamines that lead to life threatening Substance Use Disorders represents a major global health challenge. The most commonly prescribed drugs for the treatment for Opioid Use Disorder currently involves administration of FDA approved opioids methadone or buprenorphine. The challenge with these standard-of-care treatment drugs is they are opioids themselves and can cause dependence and/or life-threatening side-effects such as cardiotoxicity, respiratory depression and death. There are currently no FDA approved medications to treat cocaine or amphetamine-use disorders and polysubstance use is common. This newly discovered, non-opioid, 1st in class small molecule, targets the dopamine D3R receptor with high affinity and blocks the “rewarding effects”, elicited by these drugs of abuse. This new drug can also reduce the adverse effects of opioid withdrawal in animal models, without having addictive liability itself. An IND designation has been awarded by the FDA and a Phase 1 clinical trial is pending.