Efficacy and Safety of Sustained-release Dexamphetamine in Patients With Moderate to Severe Cocaine Use Disorder

Summary

In The Netherlands, each year, about 15 thousand people come into treatment because of problems with cocaine use. There is no approved medication for treatment of cocaine addiction and the psychosocial treatment patients receive is not successful for everyone; many return to treatment several times. There is evidence that agonist ("replacement") medications are effective in treating addiction: methadone for heroin addiction; nicotine replacement for smokers. Dexamphetamine is a stimulant medication registered for treatment of ADHD. It may also be effective as agonist treatment for people with cocaine addiction. It will be investigated whether sustained-release dexamphetamine in people with cocaine addiction, participating in routine methadone maintenance treatment for their comorbid opioid use disorder, (1) reduces cocaine use and (2) improves their health and quality of life.

Timeline

Start

2026-04-22

Primary completion

2029-01

Completion

2029-10

Publications

• Background Nuijten M, Blanken P, van de Wetering B, Nuijen B, van den Brink W, Hendriks VM. Sustained-release dexamfetamine in the treatment of chronic cocaine-dependent patients on heroin-assisted treatment: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet. 2016 May 28;387(10034):2226-34. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(16)00205-1. Epub 2016 Mar 22.
• Background Blanken P, Nuijten M, van den Brink W, Hendriks VM. Clinical effects beyond cocaine use of sustained-release dexamphetamine for the treatment of cocaine dependent patients with comorbid opioid dependence: secondary analysis of a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial. Addiction. 2020 May;115(5):917-923. doi: 10.1111/add.14874. Epub 2020 Jan 6.

Drugs

Indications