Naltrexone for Overdose Prevention
Extended-Release Naltrexone as Opioid Overdose Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) in People Using Stimulants Living With or At Risk of HIV
University of California, San Francisco
100 participants
Apr 10, 2025
INTERVENTIONAL
Conditions
Summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to see if an injectable medicine called naltrexone can prevent fentanyl overdose deaths in people who use other drugs (cocaine, methamphetamine). The main questions it aims to answer are: What are the challenges for implementing naltrexone as an overdose prevention strategy? Are injections of naltrexone effective for opioid overdose prevention among people who use stimulants? How often are people who use stimulants and do not intentionally use opioids unintentionally exposed to opioids? Researchers will compare participants to receive the study medication to the usual care group to see if one group experiences fewer opioid overdose events than the other. Participants will be randomized to either receive a monthly injection of naltrexone over six months, or receive usual care. Usual care includes harm reduction supplies. Laboratory procedures will include the collection of urine, blood, and hair samples for various safety and outcome measure testing.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria5
- at-risk for HIV or living with HIV
- stimulant use disorder (by DSM-V) or positive urine drug test for cocaine, amphetamine, or methamphetamine in last 6 months AND report at least 10 days of stimulant use/month,
- able to provide informed consent,
- English-speaking,
- age 18 years old or greater.
Exclusion Criteria7
- prescribed or non-prescribed opioid use (including newly diagnosed opioid use disorder by DSM-V),
- receipt of long-acting injectable naltrexone for other indications in past 30 days,
- planned surgery in next 6 months,
- moderate, severe or chronic liver disease (AST, ALT ≥ 5 times the upper limit of normal or symptoms of current liver disease),
- persons who are pregnant or breastfeeding,
- increased risk of bleeding (thrombocytopenia \<50 x 109/L, coagulopathy, or therapeutic anticoagulation), or
- known hypersensitivity to naltrexone or its diluents.
Interventions
The study drug is an intramuscular injection of naltrexone (380mg), administered every 4 weeks via an injection in the ventrogluteal region.
Participants assigned to usual care will receive a harm reduction bundle in clinic. It will include the following components: 1) intranasal naloxone 4mg x 2, 2) participant choice of safer consumption kits based on substances and route used (specific materials for inhaled use vs. injecting, based on common use practices in the region), 3) fentanyl test kits with 2 lateral flow assays per package along with instructions to minimize false positive results, and 4) information about universal overdose precautions (behavioral modifications to optimize safety like using in the presence of others, use a test dose of new substances, etc.)
Locations(1)
View Full Details on ClinicalTrials.gov
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NCT06633900