Opiant Pharmaceuticals (formerly Lightlake Therapeutics) has announced the initiation of a Phase 2 trial of its OPNT001 intranasal naloxone for the treatment of bulimia nervosa. In 2014, the company licensed its Narcan intranasal naloxone for the reversal of opioid overdose to Adapt Pharma, and that product was approved in the US in November 2015.
The upcoming randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study is expected to enroll up to 80 patients with bulimia nervosa, with topline data expected by mid-2018.
Principal Investigator Janet Treasure of King’s College London commented, “Bulimia nervosa is a serious and potentially life-threatening eating disorder for which new treatment options are desperately needed. Compulsive bingeing has features in common with other addiction disorders, providing strong rationalization for the use of opioid antagonists to mitigate the frequency of these harmful behaviors. OPNT001 is absorbed rapidly, and allows for potential targeted dosing, which we believe could address the unique needs of patients suffering from this serious disorder.”
Opiant Pharmaceuticals CEO Roger Crystal said, “We continue to leverage our expertise in nasally-delivered opioid antagonists, which led to the successful development of Narcan nasal spray for opioid overdose, to address broader chronic addiction disorders with large and undertreated patient populations. The advancement of OPNT001 into Phase 2 development for bulimia nervosa was a key 2017 clinical goal for our company as we continue to expand and advance our pipeline of promising addiction treatments. We look forward to data from this important study next year.”
Read the Opiant Pharmaceuticals press release.
