Titan Pharmaceuticals Inc (TTNP)

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A FIRST-OF-ITS-KIND TRIAL STUDIES THE USE OF INJECTABLE BUPRENORPHINE TO TREAT METHAMPHETAMINE USE DISORDER AND OPIOD CO-USE
JUNE 28, 2023
ARTICLE




OAKLAND, Calif., June 28, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Investigators at Alameda Health System's (AHS) Bridge Clinic are participating in a new, six-city trial of injectable buprenorphine for the treatment of methamphetamine use disorder in adults who also use opioids. This is the first study to investigate the drug's efficacy in treating the two co-addictions simultaneously.

"People who use methamphetamine are involved in over half of all overdose deaths and there is a desperate need to find effective treatments for this patient population," said Erik Anderson, MD, principal investigator at AHS and Associate Medical Director of the Bridge Program. "Many patients use opioids in addition to methamphetamine, and examining treatment options for people using multiple substances is particularly important."

While buprenorphine has been used to treat opioid use disorder since 2002, there are currently no FDA-approved treatments for methamphetamine use disorder or methamphetamine use disorder together with opioid co-use.

The first-of-its-kind trial, available locally at AHS's Bridge Clinic at the Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus in Oakland, CA, is a 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. The Bridge Clinic hopes to enroll 41 of the 246 participants to be recruited nationwide over the next two years.

The study is designated for those with moderate to severe methamphetamine use disorder coupled with mild opioid use disorder or opioid misuse. It is funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health, and the Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative.

"Using buprenorphine as a treatment for methamphetamine use disorder and opioid co-use is a promising option for this high-risk patient population. Our hope is that the extended-release buprenorphine formulation will help patients use less methamphetamine and improve their quality of life," said Anderson.

To be considered for the study, participants must be seeking treatment for methamphetamine use disorder and opioid co-use, be 18-65 in age, and be able to attend twice-weekly outpatient clinic visits. The trial evaluates patients with twice-weekly urine drug screens as well as self-reported frequency of methamphetamine and opioid co-use.

In addition to AHS's Bridge Clinic, participating institutions include: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, University of California Los Angeles, Comprehensive Options for Drug Addiction (CODA), Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, and the University of Washington Harborview Medical Center.



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