Research Article
The Effects of 6β-Naltrexol, a Putative Neutral Opioid Antagonist, in Opioid-Dependent Subjects: A Proof-of-Concept Trial
*Corresponding Author: John Mendelson MD, Addiction and Pharmacology Research Laboratory, California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, United States, Tel: (415)-641-3370, Fax: (415)-641-3380, Email: john.mendelson@cpmcri.orgReceived Date: Jan 19, 2011 / Accepted Date: Apr 14, 2011 / Published Date: Apr 20, 2011
Citation: Mendelson J, Li L, Flower K, Harris W, Coyle JR, et al. (2011) The Effects of 6?-Naltrexol, a Putative Neutral Opioid Antagonist, in Opioid-Dependent Subjects: A Proof-of-Concept Trial. J Addict Res Ther 2:108.DOI: 10.4172/2155-6105.1000108
Copyright: © 2010 Mendelson J, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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Abstract
Potential complications of prescription opioid use include abuse and constipation. 6β-Naltrexol (6βNTX), a neutral opioid antagonist, may alleviate these complications when co-formulated with μ-opioid analgesics. In a double-blind ascending dose study, four subjects on methadone maintenance received 6βNTX (0.05, 0.15, 0.50 and 1.0 mg). 6βNTX was generally well tolerated; three of four subjects reported willingness to take higher doses. Increased gastrointestinal activity was evidenced by decreased oral-cecal transit time and prompt laxation at higher doses.