NIDA study finds combination of two medications effective in treating methamphetamine use disorder

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) recently published a study indicating that a combination of two medications, injectable naltrexone and oral bupropion, was safe and effective in treating methamphetamine use disorder. The research was conducted from 2017 to 2019 at clinics in community treatment programs across the country and enrolled patients with moderate to severe methamphetamine use disorder. All participants in the study indicated that they wished to reduce or stop use of methamphetamine. Researchers found that 16.5% of those given the naltrexone/bupropion combination had negative urine screens, compared to only 3.4% of those in the control group. As described in the announcement, participants in the treatment group were assessed to have fewer cravings and reported greater improvements in their lives. Finally, researchers noted that the naltrexone/bupropion’s benefit as a treatment for methamphetamine use disorder is similar to most medical treatments for mental health disorders, including antidepressants for depression or naltrexone for alcohol use disorder.