Medications Development for the Treatment of Amphetamine and Amphetamine-Like Related Disorders (R21)

Purpose. The goal of this program announcement is to encourage preclinical and clinical research directed towards the identification, evaluation and development of safe and effective medications for the treatment of Amphetamine and Amphetamine-like Related Disorders (ARDs), most importantly methamphetamine abuse and methamphetamine dependence. According to the DSM-IV-TR, the class of amphetamine and amphetamine-like substances includes all substances with a substituted-phenylethylamine structure, such as amphetamine, dextroamphetamine, methamphetamine, and MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine). Also included are those substances that are structurally different but have amphetamine-like action, such as methylphenidate, some agents used as appetite suppressants, and khat. Amphetamines, amphetamine-like substances and methamphetamine especially, are highly addictive central nervous system stimulants that can be injected, snorted, smoked, or ingested orally. Of all the ARDs, prevalence data is most readily available for methamphetamine abuse and dependence. This data indicates that methamphetamine use continues to be a major public health concern in the United States for all segments of the population. Methamphetamine is unique in that it can be easily manufactured in clandestine laboratories using store-bought materials and is the most prevalent synthetic drug manufactured in the United States. The ease of manufacturing methamphetamine and its highly addictive potential has caused the use of the drug to greatly increase throughout the Nation. The methamphetamine problem was originally concentrated in the West of the United States, but has since spread throughout almost every major metropolitan area in the country, due to the low cost, high availability, and addictive properties of this substance. There are currently no effective pharmacological treatments for ARDs and there has been limited research focused on the identification and development of medications to treat these disorders, as well as research on the health effects of chronic abuse. For these reasons, the NIDA is encouraging research in this area.