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NCT Number: NCT07829939

Understanding Oral Nicotine Pouch Use in Healthy Volunteers

The goal of this clinical trial is to understand how using oral nicotine pouches effects the body in healthy volunteers. The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. With multiple use of oral nicotine pouches (ONPs) throughout the day, participants will adjust their intake of nicotine to be similar to or higher than that seen with cigarette smoking or vaping. 2. With multiple use of ONPs throughout the day, participants will experience satisfaction, psychological reward and relief of withdrawal symptoms similar to that seen with cigarette smoking or vaping. Participants will rate ONP use as a satisfactory substitute for cigarette smoking or vaping. 3. Examine the cardiovascular effects (blood pressure and heart rate) of placebo, 3mg and 6mg ONPs, and the participants' usual cigarette or e-cigarette (vape).

Participants will:

* use 3 different strengths of ONPs (0 mg, 3 mg, 6 mg) and their usual inhaled nicotine product (cigarette or e-cigarette/vape) * visit the hospital research ward on 4 separate days for 8 hours each day * use one of each of the products in a randomized order (by chance, like flipping a coin) on each of the 4 hospital study days

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Key information

Age range

21 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Phase 1

Primary location

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Healthy based on medical history and limited physical examination.
  • Heart rate < 105 BPM*
  • Systolic Blood Pressure < 160 and > 90*
  • Diastolic Blood Pressure < 100 and > 50*

*Considered out of range if both machine and manual readings are above/below these thresholds.

  • Body Mass Index ≤ 38.0
  • Willingness to abstain from illicit drug use for the duration of the study and cannabis for 48 hours prior to each hospital visit
  • Group 1 (n=12) Smoke cigarettes regularly (smoked 20 of past 30 days, 5 or more cigarettes per day)
  • Group 2 (n=12) use nicotine-containing e-cigarettes regularly (use on 20 of past 30 days)
  • Participants may be dual users of cigarettes and e-cigarettes, but during the study will use their predominant product (i.e., the product they use on more days in the past 30 and more frequently on days that they use it).
  • Saliva Cotinine >50 ng/ml
  • Age: ≥ 21 years old and ≤ 65 years old
  • Willingness to abstain from smoking all combustible products (tobacco and cannabis) for 12 hours before admission
  • Willingness to abstain from nicotine products (vaping/oral use) 12 hours before each admission

Exclusion criteria

  • • Unstable medical conditions:
  • Heart disease
  • Seizures
  • Cancer
  • Thyroid disease (okay if controlled with medication)
  • Diabetes
  • Hepatitis B or C or Liver disease
  • Glaucoma
  • Kidney disease or urinary retention
  • An ulcer in the past year
  • Diagnosis of asthma or COPD
  • Drug/Alcohol Dependence
  • Alcohol or illicit drug dependence within the past 12 months (currently in treatment) with the exception of those who recently completed an alcohol/drug treatment program
  • Positive toxicology test at the screening visit (THC & prescribed medications okay)
  • Opioid replacement therapy (including methadone, buprenorphine, or other)
  • Psychiatric conditions
  • Current or past schizophrenia, and/or current or past bipolar disorder
  • Major depression, current or within the past year
  • Major personality disorder
  • Participants with current or past minor or moderate depression and/or anxiety disorders will be reviewed by the PI [study physician] and considered for inclusion
  • History of psychiatric hospitalizations are not exclusionary, but study participation will be determined as per PI's [study physician's] approval
  • Suicidal ideation within the past month
  • Current regular use of any psychiatric medications with the exception of SSRIs and SNRIs and current evaluation by the PI that the participant is otherwise healthy, stable, and able to participate
  • Congenital or acquired immunodeficiency disorders (i.e. HIV, congenital immune deficiency syndrome, chronic diseases)
  • Other disorders (i.e. ICU, malnutrition, immunosuppressive therapy)
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Recent onset or change (worsening) in cough, fever and/or abdominal symptoms (vomiting or pain) in the past two weeks
  • Medications
  • Concurrent use of nicotine-containing medications
  • Any stimulant medications (ex. Adderall) generally given for ADHD treatment
  • Hypertension medications
  • Other/Misc. Chronic Health Problems
  • Oral thrush
  • Fainting
  • Other "life threatening illnesses" as per study physician's discretion
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy (self-reported and urine pregnancy test)
  • Breastfeeding (determined by self-report)
  • Concurrent participation in another clinical trial
  • Inability to communicate in English
  • Current regular user of ONPs
  • Planning to quit smoking or vaping within the next 60 days
  • Uncomfortable with getting blood drawn

Treatment and study plan

0 mg oral nicotine pouches

Drug

placebo

3 mg oral nicotine pouches

Drug

low strength oral nicotine pouches

6 mg oral nicotine pouches

Drug

high strength oral nicotine pouches

cigarette or e-cigarette

Drug

Participants will use their own cigarette or e-cigarette (vape)

Primary outcomes

  1. With multiple use of ONPs throughout the day, participants will titrate their intake of nicotine to be similar to or higher than that seen with cigarette smoking or vaping.

    Time frame: 7 hours post-dose

    This will be assessed by comparing ratios of nicotine area under the plasma nicotine concentration time curve.

Secondary outcomes

  1. With multiple use of ONPs throughout the day, participants will experience satisfaction, psychological reward and relief of withdrawal symptoms similar to that seen with cigarette smoking or vaping.

    Time frame: Pre-dose until 7 hours post-dose.

    This will be assessed by administering the Modified Cigarette Evaluation Questionnaire (mCEQ) throughout the day. The mCEQ uses three multi-item subscales and two single items: "Smoking Satisfaction" (items 1, 2, and 12); "Psychological Reward" (items 4 through 8); "Aversion" (items 9 and 10); "Enjoyment of Sensations" (item 3); and "Craving Reduction" (item 11). The items are rated on a seven-point scale ranging from 1 (not at all) to 7 (extremely). Scores for each subscale are calculated as the mean of the individual item responses or the single item. The minimum total score = 7 and maximum = 35 with higher scores indicating greater intensity on that scale.

  2. Cardiovascular effects among arms using heart rate as a measure

    Time frame: Pre-dose until 7 hours post-dose

    The investigators will compare maximum change in heart rate as well as an integrated measure of heart rate after the first dose of nicotine over the following 7 hours among dosages.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Armando Barraza, BA

CONTACT

[email protected]

4155022465

Lisa Lawrence, BA

CONTACT

[email protected]

4155022465

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of California, San Francisco

Other

Collaborators

  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Registry information

Official study title

Clinical Pharmacology of Oral Nicotine Pouches

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2029
Study completion
2029
First posted
Sep 21, 2026
Registry last updated
Sep 21, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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