The new grant will support the completion of a Phase IIa trial of MN-166 in opioid dependence, for which the company had recently released positive interim results.
The trial being carried out at Columbia University and the New York State Psychiatric Institute is led by Dr. Sandra Comer, Professor of Neurobiology and principal investigator.
Dr Comer said: "We are honored to receive this grant from NIDA with more than $2.66m for the next nine months and to be notified of a potential award of more than $11m for the next four years."
MediciNova president and chief executive officer Yuichi Iwaki said: "We are very pleased with NIDA’s continued support of clinical research on MN-166 (ibudilast) in opioid dependence. We look forward to additional data as the study advances."
The randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, inpatient Phase IIa trial is evaluating MN-166 in opioid-dependent abusers of prescription opioids and/or heroin.
The study duration is about six weeks per subject and its design includes initial detoxification followed by randomization to ibudilast 50mg BID or placebo.
Since 1989, MN-166 has been marketed in Japan and Korea for the treatment of post-stroke complications and bronchial asthma.
The company licensed MN-166 (ibudilast) from Kyorin Pharmaceutical for potential utility in relapse-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).