2023-09-08 12:30:00
DORA-12 is an investigational drug belonging to the class of orexin receptor antagonists (DORA) currently being developed to treat insomnia. But it won’t just help you sleep better, it could also help people addicted to opioids, such as oxycodone, according to a study led by Scripps Research.
Opioid addiction: sleep better to avoid relapse
During opioid withdrawal, which can last several days, addicted people face a range of symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, sweating, chills, pain, anxiety and insomnia. . The desire for relief from these disorders is the cause of many relapses. It is in this context that Scripps Research researchers were interested in the effectiveness of the experimental insomnia treatment DORA-12 in facilitating detoxification.
“The idea behind testing this treatment was that if people or animals slept better during this withdrawal period, then when they woke up, they might not feel as much need and would not be as likely to relapse“explains Jessica Illenberger, lead author of the article published in Neuropharmacology.
The team therefore carried out tests with rats weaning from oxycodone. They gave some of them the medicine for insomnia. The results showed that these animals were much less likely to resort to drugs again. Additionally, signs of opioid addiction in the brain, characterized by the number of certain types of neurons, were reversed with the use of DORA-12. And, this effect persisted even when DORA-12 had not been administered for several days.
“These results are very encouraging” confides Rémi Martin-Fardon, responsible for the works. “We hope that in the future this compound may be useful not only for treating sleep disorders, but also for drug use disorders.”
Weaning and DORA-12: different results depending on sex
The scientists also found slight differences depending on the sex of the rats. Although all rodents had fewer opioid relapses following treatment with DORA-12, the drug was less effective in females. Furthermore, changes in neuron number appeared to be more pronounced in males. “I think it’s something really important to follow.”indicates Remi Martin-Fardon in a communiqué. “It may be that women are much more sensitive to the effect of oxycodone and that different doses of treatment may be necessary.”
Additional studies to verify these results and confirm the interest of DORA-12 in the treatment of addictions.
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