New drug combo may help people fight meth addiction, study shows - Axios

Why it matters: Currently there are no FDA-approved drug treatments available for people with a methamphetamine use disorder — an addiction that has risen during the pandemic.

Preliminary CDC data shows overdose deaths from methamphetamine and similar stimulants increased 35% during the pandemic "as more people become anxious and depressed," says Nora Volkow, director of the NIH's National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

What's new: In a phase III clinical trial of 403 people with moderate to severe methamphetamine addiction (using the drug an average of 27 times per month), researchers gave the non-placebo groups a combination of extended-release naltrexone, used to treat opioid and alcohol use disorders, and bupropion, which is an antidepressant and nicotine cessation aid.