Register to attend a free NIH webinar to learn about a new non-opioid small molecule for treating opioid use and substance use disorders by selectively targeting the dopamine D3 receptor. Dr. Amy Newman and her team at the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), along with researchers from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), discovered this new molecule and have advanced its development toward an upcoming clinical trial, to also include an Investigative New Drug (IND) designation.

Who Should Attend?

• Business development professionals
• Therapeutic/drug development professionals
• Biotech/pharma/academia researchers
• Investors and entrepreneurs

Why Attend?

• Assess co-developing the technology
• Interact with the inventor, ask questions and provide feedback
• Learn how to partner with the NIH

About the Technology:

Use of opioids, cocaine and amphetamines that lead to life threatening Substance Use Disorders represents a major global health challenge. The most commonly prescribed drugs for the treatment for Opioid Use Disorder currently involves administration of FDA approved opioids methadone or buprenorphine. The challenge with these standard-of-care treatment drugs is they are opioids themselves and can cause dependence and/or life-threatening side-effects such as cardiotoxicity, respiratory depression and death. There are currently no FDA approved medications to treat cocaine or amphetamine-use disorders and polysubstance use is common.

This newly discovered, non-opioid, 1st in class small molecule, targets the dopamine D3R receptor with high affinity and blocks the “rewarding effects”, elicited by these drugs of abuse. This new drug can also reduce the adverse effects of opioid withdrawal in animal models, without having addictive liability itself. An IND designation has been awarded by the FDA and a Phase 1 clinical trial is pending.

Commercial Advantages:

• Treatment of:
  • Opioid Use Disorder
  • Stimulant Use Disorder
  • Polysubstance Use Disorders
• Potential treatment for:
  • Schizophrenia
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Cannabis dependence (Tetrahydrocannabinol, THC)

Competitive Advantages:

• Effectively targets D3 dopamine receptor - previously hard to target selectively
• Mitigates opioid behavioral effects - more likely to seek treatment
  • No withdrawal symptoms
  • Reduced medicated assisted treatment (MAT) related stigma
• Mitigates long-term cognitive deficits caused by chronic cocaine use
• Avoids negative side-effects
  • Dependence
  • Cardiotoxicity
  • Respiratory depression
  • Chronic constipation

This free webinar will take place on April 29, 2026 from 11-12pm EST. You can register to attend here.