VERY GOOD NEWS! –
June 26, 2022 – Conducted from 2017 to 2019 at clinics in multiple community treatment programs nationwide, this study enrolled 403 adult volunteers ages 18 to 65 with moderate to severe methamphetamine use disorder. Participants were randomly assigned to treatment or control groups. In each of two six-week stages, participants in the treatment group received an injection of extended-release naltrexone every three weeks and took extended-release bupropion daily. Those in the control group were given matched placebos over the same time periods.
Study researchers performed four urine drug screens at the end of each stage of these two stages. Participants were considered to have “responded” to treatment if at least three of four urine screens were negative.
Overall, participants responded at a significantly higher rate in the treatment group: 16.5% compared to only 3.4% of those in the control group when screened during weeks 5 and 6, and 11.4% compared to 1.8% when screened in weeks 11 and 12. Researchers reported that naltrexone/bupropion’s level of benefit as a treatment for methamphetamine use disorder is similar to most medical treatments for mental health disorders, including antidepressants prescribed for depression and naltrexone prescribed for alcohol use disorder.
