Charles France
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, TX·Pharmacology
The opioid crisis continues even though medications exist that replace or block opioids. Fentanyl and related drugs are potent, cheap and easy to make, and they drive rising overdose deaths.
- Fields
Pharmacology
Neuroscience
Medicine & Clinical Research
- Topics
opioid use disorder
methocinnamox
mu-opioid receptor
- Grants
- 2 known grants, through Dec 2027
What they work on
- Submit an Investigational New Drug application to the FDA for methocinnamox (MCAM), a long-acting mu-opioid receptor blocker, to prevent opioid relapse after detoxification.
- Complete Phase 1 and Phase 1b clinical trials of GMP-manufactured MCAM, plan a Phase 2 trial, and conduct additional non-clinical toxicology studies requested by the FDA.
- Test whether cannabidiol, alone or with THC, reduces fentanyl self-administration in a food-versus-drug choice procedure and relapse-like reinstatement in nonhuman primates.
- Determine whether CBD, alone or with THC, eases withdrawal in morphine-dependent monkeys and changes opioid effects on breathing, pain relief and cognition, along with CBD pharmacokinetics.
More about the research
The lab's two projects pursue new treatments for opioid use disorder (OUD). One develops a long-acting drug that blocks opioid receptors. The other tests whether cannabidiol (CBD), a non-intoxicating compound from cannabis, can reduce drug taking, relapse and withdrawal.
Why it matters
People with opioid use disorder need more treatment options. MCAM could become an oral, shelf-stable, long-acting medication that prevents relapse after detox. It may also help prevent or reverse opioid overdose. Because CBD is already FDA-approved and has no abuse liability, positive results in primates could lead quickly to clinical trials of a nonopioid OUD treatment.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
Thomas Keck
Rowan University, NJ·Pharmacology
Test whether combining morphine with MP-III-024, a compound that enhances α2/α3 GABA-A receptor signaling, gives stronger pain relief without more tolerance, constipation or respiratory depression in preclinical models.
Madepalli Lakshmana
Florida International University, FL·Neuroscience
Synthesize six sets of structurally varied TPI-132 analogs and select two with stronger activation of TFEB, a master switch for cellular recycling, plus lower toxicity and better brain penetration and solubility.
Christian Hopfer
University of Colorado Denver/Anschutz Medical Campus, CO·Medicine & Clinical Research
Test whether 8 weeks of hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD), compared with placebo, reduces THC use, cannabis use disorder symptoms, anxiety and depression in emerging adults who use cannabis regularly, using a randomized trial.
The school
University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio: 15 labs on PI Pages, $313M a year on research, 149 research doctorates a year.
More about University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
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