New treatment options are needed for the prevention of relapse to alcohol use, the major problem in the treatment of alcohol dependence in humans. The neuropeptide relaxin-3/RXFP3 plays a relevant role in the motivation for the reward process and is considered a possible therapeutic target in addictive behaviors.

Amygdala Neurosciences Inc. has been awarded a $2.0 million NIH grant to support IND-enabling and early-stage development of its selective, reversible, orally bioavailable aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2) inhibitor ANS-858 to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD).

Cessation Therapeutics Inc. has obtained IND clearance from the FDA to initiate a first-in-human trial of CSX-1004 for the prevention of fentanyl overdose. The trial in healthy volunteers is expected to begin next month.

Researchers from Addex Therapeutics Ltd. have published preclinical data for the novel positive allosteric modulator of the metabotropic glutamate mGlu2 receptor, ADX-106772, being developed for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD).

Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corp.’s wholly owned subsidiary DMK Pharmaceuticals Corp. has been awarded a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support the development of a novel bifunctional small molecule for the treatment of alcohol use disorder.

Psilera Inc. has selected a novel, non-hallucinogenic psilocybin derivative, PSIL-006...

At the recent ASPET meeting, University of Minnesota and University of Montana researchers presented data from studies to determine the ability of the Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) and TLR8 agonist INI-4001 to enhance the efficacy of the heroin vaccine M-sKLH for the treatment of opioid use disorder.

Onquality Pharmaceuticals LLC has received FDA clearance of its IND application for OQL-036, a potential prophylactic treatment for capecitabine-induced hand-foot syndrome (HFS).