Cerevel Therapeutics begins CVL-936 trial for treating drug addiction

Cerevel Therapeutics, LLC, a biopharmaceutical company developing new therapies for treating neuroscience diseases, has reportedly dosed healthy volunteers in Phase 1 clinical trial of CVL-936, a potential first-in-class investigational therapy for treating substance use disorder.

For the record, CVL-936 is selective dopamine D3-preferring, orally administrated, D2/D3 receptor subtype antagonist currently in development. Reportedly, the Phase 1 clinical trial is double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled which will evaluate tolerability, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and tolerability of single dose of CVL-936 drug in healthy patients ages 18 to 50. This clinical trial will be operated at a single center and will involve up to 27 subjects across three cohorts.

John Renger, Ph.D., CSO (Chief Scientific Officer) of Cerevel Therapeutics, said that a constant epidemic of substance use disorder is taking place in the U.S., either in the form of nicotine, opioids, alcohol, and stimulants, with more than 20 million affected people are in dire need of new therapeutic options.

With existing treatments, around 90% of people living with opioid use disorder are projected to relapse within five years, and it is projected that more than half may relapse within the six months.

Renger claims that the company is developing CVL-936 as a potential treatment option to restore balance in the behavioral reward system in the brain. Moreover, Cerevel is bringing a novel treatment approach to substance use disorder patients and consequently, to alleviate the stigma and suffering that they and their families experience.

The company is looking forward to the results of this trial and would inform about further clinical updates of CVL-936 trail in substance use disorder patients, added Renger.

As per a report from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, around 20.3 million people in the U.S aged 12 year or above suffered from substance use disorder in 2018.

Source Credit - https://www.cerevel.com/news/cerevel-therapeutics-initiates-phase-1-clinical-trial-of-cvl-936-an-investigational-medicine-in-development-to-treat-substance-use-disorder/