We are pleased to announce that our Ph.D. student Morfeas Koumas presented our “PROUD” project at the 15th International Conference of the Center of Applied Neuroscience, held at the University of Cyprus.

Morfeas’s poster presentation showcased our ongoing randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial investigating the efficacy of ketamine in treating negative affect and preventing relapse to opioid use during abstinence. The PROUD project (EudraCT: 2022-001997-70) represents an innovative approach to addressing a critical gap in opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment.

The study explores ketamine’s potential as a novel pharmacotherapy, leveraging its unique properties as a fast-acting antidepressant that produces robust effects from a single sub-anesthetic dose. The protocol involves six intravenous subanesthetic ketamine doses (0.5 mg/kg, 40-minute infusion) or placebo administered over two weeks. Additionally, the trial aims to identify potential biomarkers predicting treatment response through heart rate variability and EEG measurements during the first ketamine or placebo infusion.

The presentation highlighted the trial’s methodology and its potential impact on developing more effective interventions for individuals with OUD, a chronic relapsing disorder with high overdose mortality.

The PROUD project is funded by the Research and Innovation Foundation and conducted at the premises of the State Health Services Organization of Cyprus and more specifically at the “GEFYRA” (BRIDGE) Substitute Substance Unit.