TAKE-HOME ICE PILL HOPE

Geelong in world-first trial to help meth addicts get clean

GEELONG is part of a worldleading trial to establish the first medication to help ice addicts break the habit.

As part of the project, researchers are investigating if N-Acetyl Cysteine can help people overcome their depen- dence on the drug. Experts say the medication works by helping to restore the balance of chemicals in the brain that are thought to underpin craving and addiction.

If the trial is successful, it could be rolled out as a convenient and cost-effective treatment option “almost immediately”.

GEELONG is part of a worldleading trial to establish the first medication to help ice addicts kick the habit.

As part of the N-ICE Trial, Australian researchers are investigating if N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) can reduce cravings for methamphetamine and help people overcome their dependence on the drug.

The medication at the centre of the trial has been around for more than 50 years and is most commonly used to treat paracetamol overdose, but its potential to fight addiction has only recently been investigated. It is currently available over the counter in doses under 1g — when it is classified as a food supplement — but anything over 1g sees it categorised as a medication.

Trial participants will take 2.4g daily in capsule form for 12 weeks.

Over the counter it is most commonly included as one element of fitness supplements to help aid muscle recovery.

If the theory of its benefits for addicts can be proven, NAC’s reputation as a safe and trusted product could see it rolled out as a convenient and cost-effective take-home treatment option “almost immediately”.

Funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council, the National Drug Research Institute (NDRI) at Perth’s Curtin University is leading the trial in collaboration with several other universities, including Deakin.

Geelong is home to one of three frontline clinical services being used as a trial site — along with Melbourne and Wollongong.

Dr Olivia Dean from Deakin University’s IMPACT Strategic Research Centre said she was approached to assist with the study due to previous experience with NAC trials conducted around cocaine, cannabis and tobacco.

The medication, she said, works by helping to restore the balance of chemicals in the brain that are thought to underpin craving and addiction.

“It’s shown to interfere with the craving pathways so people become less dependent,” she said.

“NAC can protect against the neurotoxic effects of ice and it is hoped that … NAC will reduce the mood changes that are often experienced.”

Currently, the main forms of treatment for ice addiction are counselling interventions and residential rehabilitation.

There is no approved medication to treat ice addition at present. “Not only have service providers but consumers expressed that there is a hole in the recovery program,” Dr Dean said.

“If we could provide a pharmaceutical option it would make a huge difference in helping to bring a holistic program together.”

Deakin University is seeking 60 ice addicts aged between 18 and 60 years old who are not currently enrolled in a detox service to take part in the trial. For more information, visit nicetrial.info