Crystalline methamphetamine (“ice”) is a significant and growing public health concern in Australia, with approximately 300,000 people now dependent on this drug. There are currently no approved pharmacotherapies that can be delivered as a scaleable and cost-effective treatment to meet the growing treatment demand. Mirtazapine, an approved antidepressant medication, has recently been identified in early clinical trials as the first potentially effective treatment option. The recently funded Tina trial will be conducted by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) and evaluate whether mirtazapine is a safe, effective, and feasible treatment in routine clinical practice.

This webinar will present an overview of evidence for treatment of methamphetamine dependence, and future directions.

The ASCEND program grant (Advancing the health or people who use drugs: hepatitis C and drug dependence) is a collaboration between UNSW Sydney’s Kirby Institute and National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), funded by the National Health and Medical Research Centre.

Speakers

Chair: Professor Michael Farrell

• Dr Steven Shoptaw – What doesn’t work, and what might work? An overview of the evidence. (20 minutes)

• Associate Professor Rebecca McKetin – Mirtazapine for methamphetamine dependence: Will it work in routine clinical practice?(15 minutes)

• Panel discussion (20 minutes) with: Dr Steven Shoptaw, A/Prof Rebecca McKetin, Professor Nadine Ezard