Delta opioid receptor Agonists
1 drugsAbout Delta opioid receptor
The Delta-opioid receptor (DOR) modulates pain perception and emotional responses within the central nervous system. As a member of the opioid receptor family, it is a G-protein coupled receptor that plays a crucial role in these processes.
Human genetic studies provide strong validation for OPRD1 (score 0.71), with variants linked to substance-related disorder, nicotine dependence (LoF protect), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Loss-of-function variants are protective against nicotine dependence, supporting agonist-based therapies.
Four FDA-approved small molecule drugs target DOR, including SYMPROIC, BUPRENORPHINE, VIBERZI, and BUTRANS. Two drugs address pain, while the other two target other conditions, indicating potential for therapeutic expansion.
Strategic Insights
ℹ️ How we calculate- White space opportunity in Breast Cancer with only 1 trials.
Delta opioid receptor Genetic Evidence Strong
Genetic evidence shows strong support for OPRD1, with a max score of 0.71 linked to substance-related disorders.
Strong genetic support suggests a higher probability of clinical success, warranting further investment in DOR-targeted therapies.
💡 Why inhibition?
- • Loss-of-function variants reduce disease risk (OR < 1)
- • 100% directional consistency across 1 traits
- • Strong signal in psychiatric disorder, nervous system disease pathways
Cross-Disease Effects
Trade-off: LowDirection of Effect
100% alignedEvidence Across Diseases
4 totalGWAS and other genetic studies link OPRD1 to 4 diseases.
Inhibiting this target may be therapeutic
🔗 Colocalization Evidence 20 strong
max H4: 0.98eQTL/pQTL signals for OPRD1 colocalize with these GWAS traits, providing causal evidence that gene expression changes drive disease risk.
Understanding these scores
Association Score (0-1): Combines all evidence types (genetic, literature, drugs, animal models). Higher = more evidence linking target to disease. This is a ranking heuristic, not a confidence score.
L2G Score: Open Targets uses a machine learning model (Locus-to-Gene) to predict which gene is causal at each GWAS locus. L2G=0.5 means ~50% probability of being the causal gene. Only associations with L2G > 0.05 are included.
Odds Ratio (OR): From gene burden studies (UK Biobank, AstraZeneca PheWAS). Measures how loss-of-function variants affect disease risk. OR<1 = protective (inhibiting target may help), OR>1 = risk (losing function causes disease).
Beta (β): Effect size for continuous traits. β<0 = protective, β>0 = risk.
Clinical Translation (~1.8x): Based on Nelson et al. 2015: drug targets with genetic evidence have ~2x higher success rates in clinical trials. We estimate: Strong support (score ≥0.7) → ~1.8x, Moderate (0.3-0.7) → ~1.3x, Weak → baseline.
Colocalization (H4): Tests whether a GWAS signal and an eQTL/pQTL signal share the same causal variant. H4 is the posterior probability that both traits are associated AND share a causal variant. H4 > 0.8 = strong evidence that gene expression/protein levels drive disease risk. This links genetic variation → gene expression → disease, supporting the target-disease connection.
Top Delta opioid receptor Drugs
Four companies have approved drugs targeting DOR: BDSI, WATSON LABS TEVA, AbbVie, and PURDUE PHARMA LP.
The presence of multiple players suggests a moderately competitive market, requiring a differentiated approach for new entrants.
Delta opioid receptor Drug Modality Landscape
Modalities
Routes of Administration
Only one approved drug targets Delta opioid receptor, using small molecule modality.
The absence of other modalities like antibodies or peptides represents a whitespace opportunity for novel therapeutic development.
Delta opioid receptor Clinical Trials 9 trials
Completion by Phase
| Phase | Total | Completed | Failed | Active | Completion |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 33% |
| Phase 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| Phase 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
Top Sponsors
By Modality
Top Conditions
Top Drugs
Delta opioid receptor Drug Approval Timeline (2015 - 2015)
The first drug was approved in 2010 (BUTRANS), and the most recent in 2018 (BUPRENORPHINE), spanning 9 years.
The recent approval suggests continued interest, but the relatively short span may indicate approaching market saturation.
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Competitive Landscape
- • 1 companies competing
- • Market share by company
Full Drug Portfolio
- • All 1 approved drugs
- • Approval dates & indications
Genetic Validation
- • Full genetic evidence table
- • Effect sizes & directions
Approval Timeline
- • Full 1-drug timeline
- • First-of-modality markers
Clinical Trials Analysis
- • Competition: Moderate (9 sponsors)
- • White space: 10 underexplored indications
- • Success rates by condition
Full summary • All drugs • Genetic evidence • Trials • Timeline
How We Calculate These Metrics
Target Attractiveness Score
A 0-100 score based on trial activity, sponsor diversity, and completion rates. Calculated from 11 clinical trials targeting Delta opioid receptor.
Completion rate: Percentage of trials that reached their planned endpoint. Trials terminated early, withdrawn, or suspended are not counted—these often indicate safety issues, lack of efficacy, or strategic pivots.
- Highly Attractive (80+): High trial activity, many sponsors, strong completion rates
- Attractive (60-79): Good trial activity and validation
- Moderate (40-59): Moderate interest from sponsors
- Low (under 40): Limited trial activity or validation concerns
Strategic Insights
Auto-generated insights based on trial analytics including competition intensity, white space opportunities, modality shifts, and failure patterns. We analyze trial sponsors, phases, indications, and outcomes.
Risk Signals
- High Competition: Many sponsors competing for this target (may reduce market opportunity)
- High Failure Risk: Low trial completion rates suggest development challenges
- Low Validation: Limited trial activity or poor outcomes indicate uncertain viability
- White Space Available: Underexplored indications present opportunities