Low-dose Versus a High-dose Sublingual Buprenorphine Induction

August 6, 2025 updated by: Friends Research Institute, Inc.

A Pilot Study Comparing a Low-dose Versus a High-dose Sublingual Buprenorphine Induction Dosing Scheme in Fentanyl Using Patients With Opioid Use Disorder (OUD)

This study proposes to compare a low-dose versus a high-dose buprenorphine induction scheme in 40 fentanyl using people with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). Study participants will be randomized to either the low-dose (n=20) or high dose (n=20) group and dispensed medication daily for one week.

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 proposes to compare a low-dose versus a high-dose buprenorphine induction scheme in 40 fentanyl using people with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). Study participants will be randomized to either the low-dose (n=20) or high dose (n=20) group and dispensed medication daily for one week. Thereafter, they will be treated according to the MATClinics usual schedule of clinic visits. The number and timing of visits may vary according to whether the participant is still using illicit opioids. Follow-up visits for the study will be at one and three months.The primary objective is to determine whether patients randomly assigned to low versus high dose induction regimens are more likely to complete the 7-day induction period. Secondary outcomes are the number of patients who develop precipitated withdrawal or other adverse events, experience subjective opioid withdrawal symptoms, use adjunctive medications (hydroxyzine, loperamide, dicyclomine, clonidine, ibuprofen, methocarbamol, trazodone, ondansetron) provided by the clinic, recommendation of the medication induction scheme to other patients, and treatment retention at 1- and 3- months post induction.

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.
40

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 4

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
      • Dundalk, Maryland, United States, 21222
        • MATClinics

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Adult male or female (≥ 18 years of age) persons with a DSM-5 diagnosis of OUD;
  • Must have a fentanyl positive urine test;
  • Able to come to the clinic every day for the first week of treatment.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • No exclusionary medical history or mental health issues as determined by the admitting provider; e.g., patients with untreated or unstable serious mental illness, including psychotic disorders;
  • Alcohol withdrawal requiring pharmacological management;
  • Urine positive for buprenorphine, benzodiazepines, or methadone; 4. Enrolled in a methadone treatment program in the past 14 days; 5. Inability to pass a study enrollment quiz.

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: high dose
High dose: Participants randomized to the high dose group will receive on day 1 in the clinic an initial dose of 2 mg of buprenorphine/naloxone, followed by a 6 mg dose an hour later, followed by an 8 mg dose an hour later, followed by an 8 mg dose an hour later. On day 2 they will receive a 12 mg dose in the clinic and a 12 mg dose as take-home medication. On days 3 through 7 they will report to the clinic and receive their 12 mg morning dose and a 12 mg dose as a take-home for evening dosing. Thereafter, dosing adjustments can be made in the first three months of the trial.
Drug: buprenorphine/naloxone
Participants will be dosed with buprenorphine/ naloxone strips
Other Names:
  • suboxone
Active Comparator: low dose
Low dose: Participants randomized to the low dose group will receive 0.5 mg of buprenorphine/naloxone on day 1, 0.5 mg bid on day 2, 1.0 mg bid on day 3, 2.0 mg bid on day 4, 4.0 mg bid on day 5, 4.0 mg tid on day 6, and 8 mg bid on day 7. Thereafter, dosing adjustments can be made in the first three months of the trial.
Drug: buprenorphine/naloxone
Participants will be dosed with buprenorphine/ naloxone strips
Other Names:
  • suboxone

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: 1-7 days
completion of dose induction regimen (yes/no)
1-7 days
pharmacotherapy adherence
Time Frame: out of 7 days
number of days adherent to dose induction regiment
out of 7 days

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
Clinical Opiate Withdrawl Scale (COWS)
Time Frame: 1-7 days
Precipitated withdrawal symptoms score; 11-item scale Score: 5- 12 = mild; 1 3-24 = moderate; 25-36 = moderately severe; more than 36 = severe withdrawal
1-7 days
Illicit opioid urine test results
Time Frame: baseline, 1-7 days, 1 month, 3month
Positive opioid urine drug screen
baseline, 1-7 days, 1 month, 3month
Time Line Follow-Back (TLFB) Self-reported illicit opioid use
Time Frame: baseline, 1-7 days, 1 month, 3 month
Self-report daily during first week then number of days during the past 30 for 1 and 3 month follow-ups
baseline, 1-7 days, 1 month, 3 month
Adjunctive medications
Time Frame: 1-7 days
Use of any adjunctive meds by self-report
1-7 days
Concomitant medications checklist
Time Frame: 1-7 days, 1 month, 3 month
Any medication taken by the participant to treat a medical or psychiatric disorder
1-7 days, 1 month, 3 month
Adverse events (AEs) reporting form
Time Frame: baseline, 1-7 days, 1 month, 3 month
Any reaction, side effect, or untoward event that occurs during the clinical trial, including reported overdoses
baseline, 1-7 days, 1 month, 3 month
Subjective Opiate Withdrawal Scale (SOWS)
Time Frame: 1-7 days
Subjective opioid withdrawal symptoms score (1-10, mild withdrawal; 11-20 moderate withdrawal; 21-30 severe withdrawal)
1-7 days

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.

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
MATClinics

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.
June 20, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

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.
December 31, 2024

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.
October 30, 2025

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).
June 27, 2023

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.
July 10, 2023

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.
July 14, 2023

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.
August 12, 2025

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.
August 6, 2025

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.
March 1, 2025

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.
  • 01 (Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust)

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.

Yes

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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