Repurposing Semaglutide for the Treatment of Cocaine Use Disorder: a Pilot Mechanistic Study
The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston
Summary
The purpose of this study is to evaluate semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA), in combination with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for the treatment of cocaine use disorder (CUD). This project is part of the NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) initiative (https://heal.nih.gov/).
Description
The United States is facing a resurgence in cocaine use and cocaine-related mortality. Despite the significant public health burden, there are no FDA-approved pharmacotherapies for CUD, and existing behavioral interventions, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), demonstrate only modest efficacy when used alone. Identifying pharmacological agents that can enhance the effectiveness of behavioral treatments remains a critical public health priority. One particularly promising class of medications for CUD is glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RA). These agents are widely used t…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Ability to provide informed consent before any study-related activity, willing to comply with all study procedures, and be available for the duration of the study. * Meet Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM 5) diagnostic criteria for CUD and report recent cocaine use (verified by at least one positive urine drug screen (UDS) for the cocaine metabolite benzoylecgonine (BE), during intake). * Have body mass index (BMI) of ≥25 kg/m2 * Agree (if the participant is female and of child-bearing potential) to use effective contraceptive method…
Interventions
- DrugSemaglutide
Participants will receive 14 weekly injections administered subcutaneously. Semaglutide will be initiated at a dose of 0.25 mg once weekly. After 4 weeks, the dose will be increased to 0.5 mg once weekly for an additional 4 weeks. Thereafter, the dose will be increased to 1 mg once weekly for 6 weeks
- DrugPlacebo
Sterile saline (0.9%) will serve as the placebo for semaglutide and will be administered subcutaneously once-weekly for 14 weeks. The placebo will be administered in the same blinded manner as semaglutide and will be volume-matched.
- Behavioralcognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).
Participants will receive fourteen weekly 1-hour sessions of individual cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), an evidence-based behavioral therapy platform for evaluating pharmacotherapy for CUD. CBT focuses on (1) identifying situations that precipitate drug use and (2) preventing relapse by teaching cognitive and behavioral skills to reduce risk.
Location
- The University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonHouston, Texas