Extended Release Naltrexone Versus Extended Release Buprenorphine With Individuals Leaving Jail

April 29, 2026 updated by: Friends Research Institute, Inc.

A Comparative Effectiveness Trial of Extended Release Naltrexone Versus Extended Release Buprenorphine With Individuals Leaving Jail

The proposed study is a Type 1 hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial. Individuals with opioid use disorder in county jails throughout the state of Maryland will be randomly assigned within gender within jail to one of two groups: Arm 1. XR-B (n=120). XR-B in jail followed by 6 monthly injections post-release at a community treatment program. Arm 2. XR-NTX (n=120). One injection of XR-NTX in jail, followed by 6 monthly injections post-release at a community treatment program.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

This study is a Type 1 hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial. County jails willing to provide extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) and extended-release buprenorphine (XR-B) will participate in a randomized controlled trial throughout the state of Maryland, in which 240 incarcerated men and women will be randomly assigned within gender within jail to one of two arms: Arm 1. XR-B (n=120). XR-B in jail followed by 6 monthly injections post-release at a treatment program. Arm 2. XR-NTX (n=120). XR-NTX in jail, followed by 6 monthly injections post-release at a treatment program. In addition to the RCT the investigators will use a learning collaborative to examine the acceptability and feasibility of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUDs). Aim 1. To determine the effectiveness of XR-B compared to XR-NTX in terms of: Primary. (a) pharmacotherapy adherence (number of monthly injections received). Secondary. (b) illicit opioid urine test results; (c) self-reported illicit opioid use; (d) overdose events (non-fatal and fatal); (e) quality of life (i. physical health; ii. mental health); (f) HIV risk behaviors (i. sexual behavior; ii. needle use or sharing); and (g) criminal activity (i. crime days; ii. re-arrest; iii. re-incarceration). Aim 2. To use a learning collaborative involving all 7 RCT county jurisdictions as well as 3 additional counties that selected not to participate in the randomized trial to understand factors related to: (a) acceptability of providing long-acting agonists and antagonists in jail settings; and (b) feasibility of providing medication continuity of care from jail to community treatment providers. Aim 3. Calculate the cost to the correctional health system of implementing an XR-B or XR-NTX program, and determine the relative value of each strategy, including the costs associated with the subsequent interventions in the community, from a state-policymaker and societal perspective.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
240

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Phase 2
  • Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Maryland
      • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21201
        • Friends Research Institute

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adult male or female inmates at participating jails who are eligible for release within 120 days
  • History of opioid use disorder (meeting DSM-5 criteria of moderate or severe opioid use disorder at the time of incarceration; individuals not meeting the opioid-disorder criterion will be eligible if they were treated in an opioid agonist treatment program during the year before incarceration)
  • Suitability for XR-B and/or XR-NTX treatment as determined by medical evaluation
  • Willingness to enroll in XR-B or XR-NTX treatment in jail
  • Planning to live in one of the 7 participating counties and/or surrounding counties

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Liver function test levels greater than 4 times normal;
  • Active medical illness that may make participation hazardous (e.g., unstable diabetes, heart disease; moderate to severe renal impairment; adequately treated medical conditions are acceptable);
  • Conditions or medications that may predispose to QTc prolongation (personal or family history of long QT syndrome, hypokalemia, medications that prolong QTc interval, e.g., macrolide antibiotics, azole antifungal compounds, anti-arrythmics, antipsychotics and antidepressant)
  • Untreated psychiatric disorder that may make participation hazardous (e.g., untreated psychosis, bipolar disorder with mania; adequately treated psychiatric disorders and appropriate psychotropic medications will be allowed);
  • History of allergic reaction to naltrexone and/or buprenorphine;
  • Current chronic pain diagnosis for which opioids are prescribed;
  • Pregnancy (for women);
  • Breast-feeding (for women);
  • Suicidal ideation (within the past 6 months);
  • Body Mass Index (BMI) > 40;
  • Inability to pass a study enrollment quiz;
  • Currently enrolled in jail-based MOUD pharmacotherapy (methadone, buprenorphine, naltrexone)
  • Enrolled in a methadone treatment program in the past 30 days.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: XR-B
Extended-release buprenorphine
Drug: XR-B
Individuals will receive extended-release buprenorphine, administered as a subcutaneous injection, is available in seven different dosage strengths for weekly (8, 16, 24, and 32 mg) and monthly (64, 96, and 128 mg) administration by a health care professional.
Other Names:
  • extended-release buprenorphine
Active Comparator: XR-NTX
Extended-release naltrexone
Drug: XR-NTX
Injectable naltrexone will be used, at a dose of 4cc (380mg of naltrexone), administered by intramuscular injection to the buttocks (alternating sides monthly). Individuals will receive monthly injections.
Other Names:
  • extended-release naltrexone

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
pharmacotherapy adherence
Time Frame: 6-months post-release
number of monthly injections received (0-6)
6-months post-release

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
illicit opioid urine screening test results
Time Frame: 1-7,12-months
number of illicit opioid positive urine drug screen results
1-7,12-months
self-reported illicit opioid use
Time Frame: Baseline, 1-7,12-months
self reported days of illicit opioid use
Baseline, 1-7,12-months
overdose events
Time Frame: Baseline, 1-7,12-months
number of fatal and non-fatal overdoses
Baseline, 1-7,12-months
Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System
Time Frame: Baseline, 1-7,12-months

physical, mental, and social health

  • scored 0: Death
  • scored < 1: A state worse than perfect health
Baseline, 1-7,12-months
Risk Assessment Battery (RAB)
Time Frame: Baseline, 1-7,12-months
HIV risk behaviors; total score/40 (range=0-1)
Baseline, 1-7,12-months
Criminal activity
Time Frame: Baseline, 1-7,12-months
number of days committed crime (20 crimes)
Baseline, 1-7,12-months
Re-arrest
Time Frame: 12-months
time to rearrest (days to arrest)
12-months
Re-incarceration
Time Frame: 12-months
time to re-incarceration (days to re-incarceration)
12-months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Friends Research Institute, Inc.

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Michael S Gordon, DPA, Friends Research Institute, Inc.

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 28, 2020

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
May 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
May 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 26, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 26, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 29, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 5, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 29, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 1UG1DA050077 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

Yes

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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