DESCRIPTION: The goal of this Phase II study is to test the early efficacy of the medication varenicline in treating methamphetamine dependence. The safety and tolerability of varenicline for the treatment of methamphetamine was tested previously and pilot data on the medication’s effectiveness was found to be promising.
OUTCOMES: Varenicline was well tolerated, but was not found to be universally efficacious for achieving MA abstinence in this Phase 2 clinical trial.
1. Briones M, Worley M, DeYoung D, Swanson AN, Heinzerling KG, Shoptaw S. Varenicline for the treatment of methamphetamine dependence. Drug and Alcohol Dependence. 2015 Nov 1;156:e28.
2. Briones M, Shoptaw S, Cook R, Worley M, Swanson AN, Moody DE, Fang WB, Tsuang J, Furst B, Heinzerling K. Varenicline treatment for methamphetamine dependence: A randomized, double-blind phase II clinical trial. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2018 Aug 1;189:30-36. Epub 2018 May 25. PMID: 29860057; PMCID: PMC6391991.