This Experimental Pill Could Become the First-Ever Drug for Cocaine Addiction

There’s new hope for people struggling with an addiction to cocaine. In clinical trial results released today, an experimental drug developed by Novartis was found to reduce cocaine use in people with cocaine use disorder. Scientists at Novartis led the research, a Phase II trial of 68 people with diagnosed cocaine use disorder. Compared to those on a placebo, people taking the experimental treatment—called mavoglurant—used cocaine and also drank alcohol less often over the following three months. The findings require further validation, but mavoglurant could eventually become the first approved drug intended to treat cocaine use disorder. Cocaine and similar drugs like methamphetamine or prescription stimulants are frequently abused. In the U.S., it’s estimated that 10.2 million Americans over the age of 12 misused stimulants in 2022, while about 4.5 million people met the criteria for a stimulant use disorder (continued long-term use even when it’s actively harming a person’s healt ... Read full article.