Drug Abuse News and Research

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New version of Addiction Severity Index performs well in psychometric terms

The new version of the Addiction Severity Index (ASI) gives health professionals the opportunity to design an integral and personalised plan of assistance for patients suffering disorders due to substance abuse.

28 Oct 2010

Kings Cross drug injecting center gains permanent status

After much debate the parliament’s upper house voted to maintain the Medically Supervised Injecting Centre in Kings Cross permanently this week on Wednesday. The votes stood 22 -15 for the centre to be given permanent status. This followed approval for a change from trial to permanent status by the lower house last week.

27 Oct 2010

Rising alcohol prices driving the young towards illicit drug use

A latest study that spanned over two years revealed a link between alcohol prices and consumption of illicit drugs such as ecstasy. The study says that as alcohol prices have risen young people have ‘switched’ to the party drug ecstasy as an alternative.

26 Oct 2010

Admissions for medication, drug-related conditions increase by 117% among Americans aged 45 and older

The number of hospital admissions among Americans ages 45 and older for medication and drug-related conditions doubled between 1997 and 2008, according to a new report released today by HHS' Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Medication and drug-related conditions include effects of both prescription and over-the-counter medications as well as illicit drugs.

26 Oct 2010

Positive results from Alkermes combination Phase 1 study of ALKS 33 and buprenorphine for cocaine addiction

Alkermes, Inc. today announced positive topline results from a phase 1 clinical study of an investigational combination of ALKS 33, one of Alkermes' proprietary candidates, and buprenorphine, an existing medication for the treatment of opioid addiction, for the treatment of cocaine addiction.

25 Oct 2010

Quest Diagnostics reports use of prescription opiates by American workers has increased by 40%

According to the American Council for Drug Education, more than 70 percent of substance abusers hold a job, which increases their risk of work related injury to them or others. While this statistic includes abuse of both legal and illegal drugs, Quest Diagnostics, a diagnostic testing company, reported the use of prescription opiates by American workers and job applicants has increased by 40% since 2005.

From Quest Diagnostics 22 Oct 2010

UTHealth renewed as 'Center of Excellence' by NIDA

By delivering an innovative, interdisciplinary approach to drug abuse and addiction research, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) has been renewed as a "Center of Excellence" by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health.

22 Oct 2010

UCLA researchers receive NIH grant to study HIV-positive men from LA County jails

A team of UCLA researchers has received a $4.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study ways to get HIV-positive men who have been released from Los Angeles County jails into medical care and on sustained treatment.

22 Oct 2010

NIH awards 5-year, $3.7M grant for study of intrauterine cocaine and substance exposure

Deborah A. Frank, MD, the Director of the Grow Clinic for Children at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and a Professor of Pediatrics at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), has received a 5-year, $3.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the long-term impacts of intrauterine cocaine exposure (IUCE) and intrauterine substance exposure (IUSE).

20 Oct 2010

Researchers discover how cocaine corrupts brains' reward center

Mount Sinai researchers have discovered how cocaine corrupts the brain and becomes addictive. These findings-the first to connect activation of specific neurons to alterations in cocaine reward-were published in Science on October 15. The results may help researchers in developing new ways of treating those addicted to the drug.

19 Oct 2010

Purdue Pharma supports NASCSA with $200,000 grant for state prescription drug monitoring programs

The National Association of State Controlled Substances Authorities (NASCSA) announced receipt of a $200,000 grant from Purdue Pharma L.P. today at the organization's 27th annual conference in Charleston, South Carolina. The grant is part of Purdue Pharma's ongoing efforts to support the operation, expansion and awareness of appropriately-designed state prescription drug monitoring programs, which can be an effective tool to address prescription drug abuse and diversion.

19 Oct 2010

CVS/pharmacy agrees to pay civil penalties for excessive sales of PSE

CVS/pharmacy today announced agreements with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Attorneys' Offices for the Central District of California and the District of Nevada to settle allegations that in 2007 and 2008 certain CVS/pharmacy stores in California and Nevada engaged in unlawful sales of pseudoephedrine (PSE), an ingredient found in popular over-the-counter cold and cough medicines.

15 Oct 2010

Omeros receives additional NIDA grant for clinical studies in Addiction program

Omeros Corporation today announced that the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has provided an additional grant to fund clinical studies for the Company's Addiction program. This grant, which is for a total of approximately $3.6 million to be paid over a four-year period in equal amounts, will fund direct and indirect costs of Phase 2 clinical studies to be conducted by researchers at the New York State Psychiatric Institute.

14 Oct 2010

Researchers report prevalence data on mental disorders among U.S. adolescents

Mental disorders in children are often difficult to identify due to the myriad of changes that occur during the normal course of maturation. For the first time, researchers at the National Institute of Mental Health have reported on the prevalence data on a broad range of mental disorders in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adolescents, which show that approximately one in five children in the U.S. meet the criteria for a mental disorder severe enough to disrupt their daily lives.

14 Oct 2010

The Partnership at Drugfree.org issues statement on FDA approval of VIVITROL for opioid dependence

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's approval of Alkermes' opioid dependence medication (VIVITROL) for the prevention of relapse to opioid dependence following opioid detoxification is positive news for families of young adults and all those who are struggling to overcome opioid addiction. Addiction, a disease of the human brain, is a chronic illness while opioid dependence is frequently characterized by relapse.

13 Oct 2010

SAMHSA awards State Incentive Grants for substance abuse prevention

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced it is awarding up to $53.4 million in new State Incentive Grants for up to five years. These grants are used by states or tribes to implement a strategic approach in communities across the state for substance abuse prevention.

13 Oct 2010

Alkermes' VIVITROL medication for treatment of opioid dependence

Alkermes, Inc. today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved VIVITROL(naltrexone for extended-release injectable suspension) for the prevention of relapse to opioid dependence, following opioid detoxification.

13 Oct 2010

Semi-synthetic opioid may improve withdrawal symptoms in infants

Thousands of infants each year have exposure to opioids before they are born. Over half of these infants are born with withdrawal symptoms severe enough to require opioid replacement treatment in the nursery. Such treatment is associated with long hospital stays which interferes with maternal/infant bonding. Now, a team of researchers at Thomas Jefferson University has tested a semi-synthetic opioid they say has the potential to improve the treatment of these newborns, which could save hundreds of millions in healthcare costs annually if future tests continue to show benefit.

7 Oct 2010

Study may lend insight about hallucination mechanism in schizophrenia

Scripps Research Institute scientists have shown for the first time that the neurotransmitter serotonin uses a specialized signaling pathway to mediate biological functions that are distinct from the signaling pathways used by hallucinogenic substances. The new findings could have a profound effect on the development of new therapies for a number of disorders, including schizophrenia and depression.

6 Oct 2010

Researchers to conduct trial to improve drug abstinence, relapse rates

A $15.7 million award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) is allowing researchers to see whether consistent exercise will help people abstain from stimulant abuse.

6 Oct 2010