# A novel inhaled dry powder psychoplastogenic formulation for treating persons with opioid use disorder

> **NIH NIH R43** · QUENCH MEDICAL, INC. · 2024 · $404,917

## Abstract

Project Summary Abstract
 Opioid use disorder (OUD) is characterized by a problematic pattern of opioid use causing
significant personal impairment or distress and may lead to overdose and death. In 2021, there
were over 2.7 million Americans living with OUD and 106,699 Americans who died from an opioid
related overdose. Unfortunately, approved medications to treat OUD carry a high risk of
dependence and have had a limited effect. Therefore, new strategies for treating people with OUD
should be developed to address the significant unmet need.
 A new drug class of psychoplastogenic compounds (PC) is being explored for therapeutics
promoting structural and functional neural plasticity to treat substance use disorders (SUD).
Evidence of anti-addictive effects and pharmacology of PCs have recently been pioneered in the
context of psychopathological disorders, including depression, anxiety, and SUD. Single doses of
a potent PC, 5-MeO-DMT, have demonstrated long-lasting effects on participants, but little is
known about the dosing strategy and potential efficacy of reducing rates and severity of symptoms
of patients living with OUD. Inhalation is the primary route of administration of 5-MeO-DMT, but
dosing remains uncertain due to means of collection, purification, and inhalation drug delivery. In
this case, it seems inhalation is the most efficient systemic delivery mechanism to improve
bioavailability and avoid first pass hepatic metabolism but reaching the periphery of the lung for
effective systemic delivery is technically challenging.
 Given the strong need, we propose to create and test in-vivo a highly effective, consistent,
and efficiently targeted inhalation treatment using our proprietary dry powder aerosol technology
for pulmonary-to-systemic delivery of 5-MeO-DMT. A successful outcome of this project will be
the creation and in-vivo efficacy testing of a new type of targeted inhalation formulation containing
5-MeO-DMT to treat OUD. Quench Medical's technology has the potential to have a ground-
breaking impact on the field of SUD by delivering 5-MeO-DMT safely, consistently, and effectively
to patients living with OUD.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10916801
- **Project number:** 1R43DA060713-01
- **Recipient organization:** QUENCH MEDICAL, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** Bryce Beverlin II
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $404,917
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-06-01 → 2025-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10916801

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10916801, A novel inhaled dry powder psychoplastogenic formulation for treating persons with opioid use disorder (1R43DA060713-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10916801. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*