Opiant initiates phase 2 study of OPNT001 for bulimia

Opiant Pharmaceuticals announced the initiation of a phase 2 clinical trial assessing OPNT001, a nasally-delivered opioid antagonist, for bulimia nervosa.

“Bulimia nervosa is a serious and potentially life-threatening eating disorder for which new treatment options are desperately needed,” study researcher Janet Treasure OBE, PhD, FRCP, FRCPsych, of King’s College London, said in a press release. “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.”

The phase 2 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study will enroll 80 individuals diagnosed with bulimia nervosa. Researchers will assess OPNT001’s safety, tolerability and efficacy.

“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,” Roger Crystal, MD, CEO of Opiant Pharmaceuticals, said in the release. “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.”

Opiant expects to report data in early 2018.