Emerging medications and pharmacological treatment approaches for substance use disorders.
Joel S Raymond, Alexander G Athanasopoulos, Connie J Badolato, Tylah J Doolan, Rhianne L Scicluna, Nicholas A. Everett, Michael Bowen, Morgan H James
Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior March 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2024.173952 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Addiction |
| Citations | 7 |
| Key findings | New classes of medications targeting serotonin 2A receptor, glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor, cannabidiol, dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor, orexin/hypocretin, and oxytocin receptor systems, along with agonist therapies for stimulant use disorders, are being explored in ongoing clinical trials and offer hope for improved treatment of substance use disorders. |
Abstract
Medications to treat substance use disorders (SUDs) remain suboptimal or, in the case of stimulants and cannabis, non-existent. Many factors have contributed to this paucity, including the biological complexity of addiction, regulatory challenges, and a historical lack of enthusiasm among pharmaceutical companies to commit resources to this disease space. Despite these headwinds, the recent opioid crisis has highlighted the devastating consequences of SUDs for both individuals and society, stimulating urgent efforts to identify novel treatment approaches. In addition, several neurobiological systems have been recently implicated in unique aspects of drug reward, opening the door to candidate medications with novel mechanisms of action. Here, we provide an overview of efforts to target several of these new systems, with a focus on those that are the subject of ongoing clinical trials as well as being areas of interest among the authors' research groups (MHJ, MTB, NAE). Specifically, we discuss new classes of medications targeting the serotonin 2A receptor (i.e., psychedelics), glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor, cannabidiol, dynorphin/kappa opioid receptor, orexin/hypocretin, and oxytocin receptor systems, as well as emergent approaches for modulating the more canonical dopaminergic system via agonist therapies for stimulant use disorders. Collectively, innovations in this space give reason for optimism for an improved therapeutic landscape for substance use disorders in the near future.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on addiction, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic psychedelics: An integrative review of epidemiology, therapeutics, mystical experience, and brain network function. General population | 2019 | Integrative review | |
| Mindfulness meditation–based pain relief: a mechanistic account | 2016 | Review | |
| Psychedelics as anti-inflammatory agents Animal models and cellular studies | 2018 | Review | |
| A narrative review of yoga and mindfulness as complementary therapies for addiction. | 2013 | Review | |
| The neuropsychopharmacology of cannabis: A review of human imaging studies | 2018 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
Cites 14
- Psilocybin-assisted treatment for alcohol dependence: A proof-of-concept study Journal of Psychopharmacology January 13, 2015
- Psychedelics Promote Structural and Functional Neural Plasticity Cell Reports June 1, 2018
- Pilot study of the 5-HT2AR agonist psilocybin in the treatment of tobacco addiction Journal of Psychopharmacology September 11, 2014
- Long-term follow-up of psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse July 21, 2016
- Percentage of Heavy Drinking Days Following Psilocybin-Assisted Psychotherapy vs Placebo in the Treatment of Adult Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder JAMA Psychiatry August 24, 2022
and 9 more in the library