In this study, the effects of a peripheral acting µ-opioid receptor antagonist (PAMORA) on disease recurrence and progression in patients with recurrent acute pancreatitis (RAP) will be investigated. Patients with RAP will be administered 0,2 mg naldemedine orally daily or matching placebo. This medication is defined as the investigational product. Naldemedine is approved by the European Medical Agency for treatment of opioid-induced constipation. This PAMORA have not previously been investigated in patients with pancreatitis. The dose regimes for this study will be according to label. It has previously been shown, in patients with opioid-induced obstipation and healthy subjects, that opioid antagonism incl. PAMORA treatment increases gut motility, relaxes gastrointestinal sphincters, increases the intestinal water content and improves the immune response, without affecting analgesia. The affinity of PAMORAs to the µ-opioid receptors is much stronger than opioid analgesics. Therefore, they as antagonists have the potential to counteract the harmful effects of opioids on the gut mucosa, bacterial translocation and inflammation despite the high levels of exogenous opioids present in patients with pancreatitis. PAMORAs do not cross the blood-brain barrier and consequently do not interfere with analgesia or other central effects of opioids.~It is hypothesized that treatment with the PAMORA naldemedine will antagonize the harmful effects of opioids without reducing analgesia in patients with RAP and hence reduce disease severity and improve clinical outcomes. If successful, this study will for the first time document the effects of a targeted pharmacotherapy in RAP with the potential benefit of improved patient outcomes.
This study will investigate the effect of a peripheral acting opioid antagonist (PAMORA) on the disease course of patients with recurrent acute inflammation of the pancreas (acute pancreatitis). The study will be conducted by treating outpatients suffering from recurrent acute pancreatitis with a PAMORA (naldemedine) for 12 months.