New Meth Treatment Could Help Reduce Use Among Gay Men

A new two-drug combination that shows promise in treating meth addiction could help reduce meth use in gay men, NBC News reports.

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, past-year meth use prevalence was more than four times higher among gay men compared to straight men in 2015. Meth is closely linked to sexual risk-taking among men who have sex with men, and has been a major factor in HIV transmission among gay men, the article notes.

Last month researchers reported in the New England Journal of Medicine that people who used meth received a combination of the antidepressant bupropion and the injectable drug naltrexone, which is prescribed for addictions to opioids and alcohol. The study found the two drugs were safe and effective in treating adults with moderate or severe methamphetamine use disorder.

Among the study participants, almost 14% of those who received the combination treatment presented mostly drug-free urine samples — more than five times greater than participants who received a placebo.