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Updated May 2026 · ClinicalTrials.gov

RECRUITINGPhase 2INTERVENTIONAL

GLP-1R Agonist Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder

GLP-1R Agonist Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (NCT06548490) is a Phase 2 interventional studying Opioid Use Disorder and Opioid Abuse and Addiction, sponsored by Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. RECRUITING as of the most recent ClinicalTrials.gov update. Talk to your doctor before contacting the trial site.

Important: This information is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

About This Trial

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if semaglutide can reduce illicit opioid use in adults in outpatient treatment for opioid use disorder, and who are receiving either buprenorphine or methadone maintenance treatment. The main question it aims to answer is: • Does semaglutide increase the likelihood that participants will refrain from using illicit and nonprescribed opioids? The investigators will compare semaglutide to a placebo (a needle prick that contains no drug) to see if semaglutide works to reduce use of illicit and nonprescribed opioids. The participants will: * Take semaglutide or a placebo every week for 12 weeks * Visit the clinic every week for urine drug screening and pregnancy testing, vital signs, and to complete mental health and drug use questionnaires * Complete smartphone surveys sent at set times during the study

What Stage of Research Is This?

Phase 2 trials evaluate whether a treatment actually works against Opioid Use Disorder and continue monitoring side effects. Phase 2 enrolls larger groups (typically 100–300 patients) and produces the first real efficacy signal. A successful Phase 2 readout is what unlocks the much larger Phase 3 confirmatory trials needed for FDA approval.

This trial is currently recruiting participants. The sponsor has registered the study with ClinicalTrials.gov as actively enrolling, which means new applicants who meet the eligibility criteria can be considered for screening. Trial status can change between updates — confirm current recruiting status with the study contact before traveling for a screening visit.

Target enrollment of 200 participants puts this in the typical range for a Phase 2-style efficacy study or a moderate Phase 3 trial in a focused Opioid Use Disorder subpopulation. At this scale, the study has enough statistical power to detect a clear treatment effect but is not the largest cohort in the field.

Who May Be Eligible (Plain English)

Who May Qualify: - Age 18 to 75 years. - Body mass index (BMI) \> 18. - Able and willing to provide willing to sign a consent form prior to any study-related activities. - Current diagnosis of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Diploma in Social Medicine (DSM)-5 Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) as per the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) or per the site clinic diagnosis. Patients are eligible if they have a MINI \> 3 ("moderate" or "severe" in the "Specify If" box in the Substance Use Disorder (Non-Alcohol) module for the category of opiates). - Currently receiving outpatient treatment for OUD and at least 2 weeks on buprenorphine (BUP) or 4 weeks on methadone at the study site and/or at an associated clinic at the time of enrollment. - Have at least 1 urine test positive for opioids after 2 weeks on BUP or 4 weeks on methadone. - Have positive self-reporting of opioid use after 2 weeks on BUP or 4 weeks on methadone. - If anatomically capable of becoming pregnant and of childbearing age, is not pregnant (confirmed) or breastfeeding at the time of enrollment and agrees to use a medically accepted method of birth control or to abstain from sexual intercourse while in the study. - Able to read and communicate in English to the level required to accept standard care and complete all study requirements. - Able and willing to engage/adhere to the entirety of the study protocol (19 weeks). - Not currently a prisoner. Who Should NOT Join This Trial: - Age \< 18 or \> 75 years. - BMI \<18. - Individuals who are pregnant, planning pregnancy, breastfeeding, or unwilling to use adequate contraceptive measures. - Current use of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist. - History of angioedema, serious hypersensitivity reaction, or anaphylactic reaction to semaglutide or another GLP-1R agonist. - Personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome Type 2 (MEN 2) or thyroid nodule. ...See full criteria on ClinicalTrials.gov Always talk to your doctor about whether this trial is right for you.

These are translations of the protocol\'s inclusion and exclusion criteria, simplified for patients and caregivers. The original clinical text appears below. Eligibility is ultimately confirmed by the trial site\'s screening process — this summary is a starting point for a conversation with your doctor, not a final determination.

Original Eligibility Criteria

View original clinical language
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 18 to 75 years. * Body mass index (BMI) \> 18. * Able and willing to provide informed consent prior to any study-related activities. * Current diagnosis of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual Diploma in Social Medicine (DSM)-5 Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) as per the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) or per the site clinic diagnosis. Patients are eligible if they have a MINI \> 3 ("moderate" or "severe" in the "Specify If" box in the Substance Use Disorder (Non-Alcohol) module for the category of opiates). * Currently receiving outpatient treatment for OUD and at least 2 weeks on buprenorphine (BUP) or 4 weeks on methadone at the study site and/or at an associated clinic at the time of enrollment. * Have at least 1 urine test positive for opioids after 2 weeks on BUP or 4 weeks on methadone. * Have positive self-reporting of opioid use after 2 weeks on BUP or 4 weeks on methadone. * If anatomically capable of becoming pregnant and of childbearing age, is not pregnant (confirmed) or breastfeeding at the time of enrollment and agrees to use a medically accepted method of birth control or to abstain from sexual intercourse while in the study. * Able to read and communicate in English to the level required to accept standard care and complete all study requirements. * Able and willing to engage/adhere to the entirety of the study protocol (19 weeks). * Not currently a prisoner. Exclusion Criteria: * Age \< 18 or \> 75 years. * BMI \<18. * Individuals who are pregnant, planning pregnancy, breastfeeding, or unwilling to use adequate contraceptive measures. * Current use of glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist. * History of angioedema, serious hypersensitivity reaction, or anaphylactic reaction to semaglutide or another GLP-1R agonist. * Personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome Type 2 (MEN 2) or thyroid nodule. * Type 1 diabetes or history of diabetic ketoacidosis. * Type 2 diabetes mellitus or current use of a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor. * Past 30-day use of Sincalide, Sulfonylureas, insulin and insulin products or other medications that may interact with semaglutide. * Hypoglycemia on intake visit (blood glucose \< 60 mg/dL). * End-stage renal failure, on dialysis, or glomerular filtration rate (GFR) \<30 mL/min per 1.73 square meters or previous renal transplant. * End stage liver disease or previous liver transplant. * Current or past diagnosis of pancreatitis, gastroparesis, or other severe gastrointestinal (GI) disease. * Current or past diagnosis of gallbladder disease or gallstones. * Serious cardiovascular disease within the past 6 months (e.g. uncontrolled hypertension, heart failure, significant cardiac arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, presence of angina pectoris, symptomatic coronary artery disease, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, second- or third-degree heart block, mitral valve or aortic stenosis, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, stroke). * Severe co-occurring psychiatric disorder (e.g., bipolar disorder, psychotic disorder, schizophrenia), and/or history or evidence of organic brain disease or dementia that would compromise safety or compliance with the study protocol in the opinion of the site principal investigator (PI) and/or physician. As there is no specific scale that determines this, this will include the Site PI/physician determining if the potential participant shows consistency in decision making and if they are alert and oriented to time, date, day and location. * Significant risk of suicide requiring a different/higher level of care, according to the clinical judgment of the study physician or site principal investigator, or history of suicide attempts within the past 1 year, unless participation is cleared by clinician assessment and/or judgment. A Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) indicating a history of suicide attempts within the past year, or active suicidal ideation within the past 1 month, will qualify as significant risk of suicide. * Treatment with any investigational drug in the one month preceding the study. * Any contraindication to both methadone and BUP. * Any contraindication to a GLP-1R agonist. * Previous randomization for participation in this trial. * Any other condition at screening that precludes safe participation in the trial in the judgment of the site PI or study physician. * Plans for travel outside of the local area over the 19 weeks (1 week of baseline, 12 weeks of medication, 1 week wash-out, and follow-up after a further 28 days) that would interfere with visits during the study period or other logistic factors that would make it difficult to commit to the entire duration of study. * Currently a prisoner.

Treatments Being Tested

DRUG

Semaglutide Pen Injector

Semaglutide will be provided using an injection pen

DRUG

Placebo

Placebo will be a dry needle stick; no substances will be injected

Locations (3)

Trial sites listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for this study. Site activation status can vary — confirm with the specific site before traveling for a screening visit.

University of Maryland Baltimore
Baltimore, Maryland, United States
NYU Langone Health
New York, New York, United States
Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States

How to Talk to Your Doctor About This Trial

Bring the printable summary of this trial — including the NCT ID (NCT06548490), the sponsor (Milton S. Hershey Medical Center), and the key eligibility criteria — to your next appointment. Your doctor can review the inclusion and exclusion criteria against your medical history, lab values, and current treatments to assess whether you are likely to qualify. They can also help you weigh whether trial participation makes sense alongside your existing care plan.

Useful questions to walk through together: What does the trial protocol require beyond standard care? How long is the active treatment phase, and how long is follow-up? Are there study visits at sites I can reach? Who pays for the trial-specific procedures, and who pays for standard-of-care portions? See our 25 questions to ask about clinical trials guide for a more complete checklist.

Authoritative Sources

The official record for this trial lives on ClinicalTrials.gov — the federal registry maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. For background on how this trial fits into the FDA approval pathway, see the FDA drug approval process. For oncology-specific guidance for patients considering trials, the National Cancer Institute publishes patient-oriented overviews. International trial registries are aggregated by the WHO ICTRP.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the NCT06548490 clinical trial studying?

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if semaglutide can reduce illicit opioid use in adults in outpatient treatment for opioid use disorder, and who are receiving either buprenorphine or methadone maintenance treatment. The main question it aims to answer is: • Does semaglutide increase the likelihood that participants will refrain from using illicit and nonprescribed opioids? The investigators will compare semaglutide to a placebo (a needle prick that contains no drug) to see if semaglutide works to reduce use of illicit and nonprescribed opioids. The participants will: * Take sema… The full protocol is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov and includes the primary outcome measures, eligibility criteria, and study endpoints.

Who can participate in NCT06548490?

Eligibility for this trial depends on the specific inclusion and exclusion criteria set by the sponsor. The plain-English summary above translates the most important criteria into accessible language; the official clinical text is preserved in the collapsible section underneath. Whether you fit any specific trial is a medical decision your doctor needs to confirm — bring the trial information to your treating physician for a full review against your medical history.

How do I contact the trial site for NCT06548490?

Contact information registered with ClinicalTrials.gov is shown in the sidebar of this page. Before reaching out, confirm with your treating physician that this trial is appropriate for your situation. The trial site will then walk you through the screening process to determine final eligibility.

Is participating in a clinical trial safe?

Clinical trials in the United States are regulated by the FDA and overseen by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) that review the protocol for safety. Risk varies by trial — Phase 1 studies test new treatments in humans for the first time, while Phase 3 trials use treatments that have already passed earlier safety screening. The informed consent document for any specific trial details the known risks and what to expect. Discuss those risks with your physician before deciding whether to participate.

Where can I verify the data on this page?

Every detail on this page comes directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API. Click "View on ClinicalTrials.gov" in the sidebar to see the official, unmodified record. The federal record is always authoritative; this page is a structured presentation with a plain-English eligibility translation. For background on how clinical trials are regulated, see the FDA drug approval process documentation.

How This Page Is Built

Every field on this page is pulled directly from the ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 — no estimates, no proxies. The plain-English eligibility translation is generated from the original protocol text and reviewed for fidelity to the underlying clinical criteria. The original clinical text remains visible in the collapsible section above so users and clinicians can verify the translation. Read the full methodology for the data pipeline and known limitations.

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov API v2 record for NCT06548490. Maintained by the National Library of Medicine at NIH. Public domain. Cite as: "TrialFinderData. NCT06548490. Data: ClinicalTrials.gov."

Medical disclaimer: This page is informational, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor about whether a clinical trial is right for you.

Last updated 2026-05-08 · Data from ClinicalTrials.gov.