Advancing Treatments for Methamphetamine Addiction

More than 70,000 people died from drug overdose in the U.S. in 2019. Over 16,000 of these deaths involved methamphetamine, a figure that has risen sharply over the last decade. According to provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, methamphetamine-involved overdose deaths are on a trajectory to increase further in 2020. Currently, there are no FDA-approved medications for methamphetamine addiction, and the most effective behavioral therapy—contingency management—is underused. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of the National Institutes of Health, is prioritizing research to develop new treatments for methamphetamine and other stimulant use disorders.

This presentation focuses on:

• patterns of methamphetamine use and overdose in the U.S.
• health consequences of methamphetamine use and addiction
• NIDA-supported research to develop medications for treating methamphetamine and other stimulant use disorders
• the effectiveness of contingency management and other behavioral interventions for methamphetamine addiction
• barriers to the implementation of contingency management therapy