U-M research team selected as a winner of NIDA's drug repurposing challenge

As the United States continues to look for solutions to address the epidemic of drug overdose deaths, one University of Michigan research team is exploring whether an existing drug could be repurposed to help treat overdoses caused by a combination of fentanyl and xylazine, a non-opioid sedative. 

Mark Bicket, MD, PhD, and Patrick Lester, BCPS, DVM, recently received funding through the National Institute on Drugs Abuse’s (NIDA) “Drug Repurposing and Repositioning Insights for Treating Substance Use Disorders” Challenge. 

The researchers’ project will investigate repurposing atipamezole — a drug currently approved by the FDA to reverse sedation in veterinary medicine — to counter the sedative effects of xylazine in humans. 

“Xylazine is a non-opioid sedative that has been increasingly found mixed with illicit drugs and connected to the national crisis of drug overdose deaths,” said Bicket, associate professor of anesthesiology. “While first responders and clinicians have access to an antidote for opioid-only overdoses, no antidote is available to reverse the sedative effects of xylazine in humans. As a result, overdoses with the xylazine-fentanyl combination remain incompletely treated.”

The research team believes atipamezole is a strong candidate to address xylazine-fentanyl overdoses in combination with naloxone because the pharmacology is well established and the safety profile is well known in animals.

The NIDA Challenge aims to identify promising ideas for repurposing or repositioning drugs to swiftly transition them into clinical use for treating substance use disorders. The University of Michigan project is one of four nationwide to receive funding. 

“Research through platforms like challenge.gov, supported by organizations such as NIDA, is crucial for catalyzing innovative solutions that address complex societal issues, drive scientific discovery, and ultimately improve One Health and public health outcomes,” said Lester, adjunct professor in the College of Pharmacy.