The CTN Library website is currently experiencing some technical difficulties with the database that houses the materials in the Library. Searches and direct links to articles, presentations, or other content in the Library database are currently not working. We are working to restore service as quickly as possible. If you need assistance, please contact us at ctnlib@uw.edu (please also cc meganw@uw.edu for a speedier response!). The CTN Library is able to access materials on the backend and can do searches for you, send PDFs, etc., while also working to restore the system to working order! Hoping to have these issues resolved soon; thank you for your patience!

The CTN Community Representative Council (CIRCL) is a collaborative of the national CTN that comes together bimonthly to courageously share what’s happening in their communities. This brief is an overview of topics discussed at this meeting and is not an exhaustive review. Download/share a PDF of the brief. The thoughts and experiences herein are those of CIRCL members and do not represent the National Institute on Drug Abuse or the Clinical Trials Network. The voices empowered by CIRCL are intended to drive research and clinical efforts in the CTN and across the US. The following themes and discussions were highlighted during this meeting: Trends in substance use/public health: Challenges advocating for harm reduction in communities Interventions supporting families and blue-collar tradespersons critical Discontinuation of critical services and supplies due to funding challenges and changing priorities at federal and local levels Non-traditional approaches to provide treatment and harm reduction services Posted on August 18, 2025

An updated edition of the Directory of the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network was published in June 2025 and is available in the CTN Library! The directory is prominently featured right on the home page of the Library website for easy/quick access. The CTN Directory lists names and contact information for researchers, clinicians, and other staff in the Network, as well as providing Node-specific information on RRTCs and PIs. Check out the new CTN Directory here!

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Clinical Trials Network, a special issue of the Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment (JSAT) is being developed to highlight the remarkable contributions made across the network over the past 25 years. The journal is currently accepting submissions in the following categories: Interested in contributing? Please contact Mitchell Garets, MSW, at mitchell.garets@hsc.utah.edu from the Greater Intermountain Node for submission guidelines or any questions. While submissions will be accepted through Fall 2025, we encourage early contributions to support planning and review.

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Clinical Trials Network, a special issue of the Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment (JSAT) is being developed to highlight the remarkable contributions made across the network over the past 25 years. The journal is currently accepting submissions in the following categories: Interested in contributing? Please contact Mitchell Garets, MSW, at mitchell.garets@hsc.utah.edu from the Greater Intermountain Node for submission guidelines or any questions. While submissions will be accepted through Fall 2025, we encourage early contributions to support planning and review.

The CTN Library website will be undergoing some server upgrades starting in the afternoon of Tuesday, April 8th and may be temporarily unavailable throughout the evening and into the next day. If you have an urgent need for any information or publications from the site, please contact ctnlib@uw.edu for assistance! Posted on April 7, 2025.

The NIDA “Drug Repurposing and Repositioning Insights for Treating Substance Use Disorders (SUDs)” Challenge aims to inspire and gather groundbreaking ideas for repurposing or repositioning existing drugs to effectively treat substance use disorders. By focusing on existing drugs, new therapeutic approaches can rapidly be translated into clinical practice, bringing new hope to individuals struggling with SUD. The Challenge will offer up to ten awards of up to $10,000 each. The Challenge total cash prize purse is up to $100,000. Challenge participants and winners may also have the opportunity to collaborate with the center focused on drug repurposing that NIDA anticipates funding in the future. The submission deadline for this Challenge competition is January 8, 2025, so learn more and submit your solution today! Learn more and apply here!

As fentanyl continues to impact communities at an unprecedented rate, understanding its potency and dangers is critical to reducing harm. By raising awareness and promoting life-saving measures like naloxone, we can work toward preventing overdoses and saving lives. This new video explainer from the Addiction Policy Forum highlights the increase of synthetic opioids like fentanyl, overdose risks, the increase in counterfeit pills containing fentanyl nationwide, and the importance of naloxone access and overdose prevention education. The video is available in English as well as in multiple additional languages.

NPR Exclusive: U.S. Overdose Deaths Plummet, Saving Thousands Of Lives. According to NPR (9/18, Mann, 3.69M), state level public health data, “for the first time in decades,” may point to “a sudden and hopeful drop in drug overdose deaths across the US.” University of North Carolina researcher Dr. Nabarun Dasgupta posted data he said show that “in the states that have the most rapid data collection systems, we’re seeing declines of twenty percent, thirty percent.” NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow called the decline “exciting,” adding, “This looks real. This looks very, very real.” Volkow said, “Expansion of naloxone and medications for opioid use disorder – these strategies worked.” NPR adds that CDC survey data previously showed “an unprecedented decline in drug deaths of roughly 10.6 percent.” For more information, check out the Opioid Data Lab blog post, “Are overdoses down and why?”

We are pleased to share that Robrina Walker, PhD, who joined Emmes in May 2021 as a Project Leader, now serves as the Co-PI of the CCC, alongside CCC PI Eve Jelstrom. In addition to helping support and manage the CCC program/portfolio as a whole, Robrina’s direct study work includes being a Project Leader (the individual accountable for the CCC or DSC team’s support of a study) for CTN-0100 RDD (for both CCC & DSC), CTN-0121 Hi-SIRI (CCC & DSC), CTN-0102XR (CCC), and CTN-0144 (CCC). Robrina brings to Emmes nearly 25 years’ experience in clinical research in substance use disorder treatment trials funded by the Veteran’s Administration, NIAAA, and NIDA, 15 years of which have included the NIDA CTN. From 2008 to 2021, Robrina was a key Co-Investigator of the Texas Node (rebranded the Big South/West Node in 2020) and was responsible for scientific contributions and oversight, building out the network of investigators and study sites, and administrative/budgetary oversight. Robrina served in various roles over the years, including QA Monitor, Site PI, protocol development team member, Lead Investigator Team member, and mentor/supervisor to trainees and new investigators. In her final years at the node, Robrina served as Co-Lead Investigator and National Project Director for the groundbreaking CTN-0068 ADAPT-2 trial. Robrina is happy to add her experiences from the node side of the CTN to the support the CCC and DSC provides via the NIDA CCTN contracts.