What’s New in the CTN?
Updates from the NIDA National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network. Want to share some news about your protocol, node, publications or presentations, or other CTN-related work here and/or in the CTN Bulletin? Email us at ctnlib@uw.edu!
News from the Pacific Northwest Node: Low-Dose Ketamine Reduces Fentanyl Withdrawal Symptoms
A new Addiction Science and Clinical Practice paper co-authored by Pacific Northwest Node researchers Crystal Smith and Cindy Grande describes a new, reliable strategy that allows fentanyl users to start treatment without prolonged suffering: low-dose ketamine. Fentanyl continues to cause the majority of drug overdoses in the U.S. Buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder (OUD), is effective and saves lives, but people often avoid it for fear of painful opioid withdrawal symptoms that can occur when starting the medication. The paper, published in early February, reports on…
New in the Library (February – March 2026)
Here are the latest items added to the CTN Dissemination Library for February – March 2026 (this post will be updated as new items come in): Brief report: Meth, tranq, gas station heroin & other drugs complicating addiction treatment. Winstanley EL, et al. American Journal on Addiction 2026 (in press). (CTN-0135) External validation of Epic’s risk of opioid abuse and overdose model among primary care patients in three health systems. Hooker SA, et al. Journal of General Internal Medicine 2026 (in press). (CTN-0095) Posted on February 23, 2026
News from the Greater Intermountain Node: Join the Secondary Analysis SIG
Are you interested in expanding the impact of your CTN study or exploring new research questions using existing CTN datasets? The Secondary Analysis Special Interest Group (SIG) invites you to join our collaborative community! We welcome: Our group provides a supportive environment to discuss concepts, share methodologic insights, and develop high-impact secondary analyses that advance the CTN mission. If you are interested in presenting, collaborating, or attending our meetings, please contact Jerry Cochran (jerry.cochran@hsc.utah.edu) or Kristi Carlston (kristi.carlston@hsc.utah.edu) with the Greater Intermountain Node. We look forward to connecting with you…
News from the Appalachian Node: GLP-1s for Addiction
Sarah Kawasaki, MD, Co-Investigator of the CTN Appalachian Node was quoted in a recent New Yorker article entitled, “Can Ozempic Cure Addiction?“ GLP-1 medications like Ozempic mimic a naturally occurring hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1, which scientists have historically associated with digestion. But it’s increasingly clear that GLP-1 affects much more than eating, and these medications are now being studied as potential treatments for a number of conditions, including addiction. (There are currently two CTN trials involving GLP-1 medications: CTN-0152 and CTN-0153.) Sarah Kawasaki, chief of addiction services at Penn…
REGISTER NOW! CTN Annual Steering Committee Meeting, April 13-15, 2026 (Bethesda, MD)
The National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) Annual Scientific and Steering Committee Meeting will take place Monday–Wednesday, April 13–15, 2026. The meeting will be held in person at the Natcher Building on the NIH Campus in Bethesda, Maryland. For those who are unable to attend onsite, all plenary sessions and select breakout sessions will be available virtually. Please note that the level of interaction for virtual attendees will vary by session. Find meeting details and registration information here! Poster submissions Sharing results, experiences, techniques, and insights from our…
Assistant Professors & Post-Doc Scholars: Apply for the LEAD Program! (Deadline March 31, 2026)
The Learning for Early Careers in Addiction and Development (LEAD) training program was developed to support the efforts of assistant professors and post-doctoral scholars from all backgrounds to receive funding from NIH as independent scientists and make the transition to leading scholars in the field. The LEAD Program is integrated within the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Clinical Trials Network (CTN) and uses a team mentoring approach: each LEAD Program scholar works with a CTN primary mentor, while also receiving guidance from a UCSF mentor and a nationally regarded career development mentor. The LEAD…
New in the Library (January – February 2026)
Here are the latest items added to the CTN Dissemination Library for January – February 2026 (this post will be updated as new items come in): Keepin’ it real: A school-based substance use prevention intervention. Marsiglia F & Kulis S. Youth Special Interest Group (SIG) webinar, January 2026. Emergency department-initiated buprenorphine for opioid use disorder: A randomized clinical trial. D’Onofrio G, et al. JAMA 2026 (in press). (Primary outcomes for CTN-0099) Investigator- and site-level outcomes of participation in an ED-based clinical trial [commentary]. Carpenter JE, et al. JAMA Network Open…
Western States Node Webinar: Problems Initiating Buprenorphine Treatment Among Patients Using Fentanyl (Feb 25, 2026) CME available!
Join the CTN Western States Node and the Northwest and Pacific Southwest Addiction Technology Transfer Centers (ATTCs) for their next joint webinar, February 25, 2026, 11am-12:30pm PT! In this session, Erin Winstanley, PhD (CTN Appalachian Node), will describe a NIDA Clinical Trials Network study, CTN-0135, examining clinician-reported challenges with initiating buprenorphine for people using fentanyl, including precipitated or prolonged withdrawal, patient reports that buprenorphine was ineffective, and patient preference for methadone. In response to these challenges, most clinicians surveyed reported modifying their standard induction protocols or patient counseling approaches. Clinicians…
Postdoc Fellowship Openings for Psychedelic/Cannabis Research at Johns Hopkins Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit (BPRU)
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine invites applications for postdoctoral research fellowships at the Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit (BPRU) within the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences with a special focus on research related to psychedelics and/or cannabis. BPRU Fellows: Areas of Interest: Opportunities include research related to a variety of psychoactive drug classes, but the current position would be predominantly focused on research related to psilocybin, psychedelics, and/orcannabis/cannabinoids. Research projects include human behavioral pharmacology studies that utilize a variety of research methodologies including acute drug administration, cognitive and…
News from the Northeast Node: Innovations in OUD Treatment webinar (Feb. 26, 12pm ET)
Join the CTN Northeast Node for the next installment of their long-running Science Series: Innovations in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment February 26, 2026, 12-1pm ETPresenter: Sarah Wakeman, MD This session will review changes in the opioid overdose crisis and innovations in opioid use disorder treatment, including novel approaches to initiating buprenorphine, use of long-acting injectable buprenorphine, and strategies for methadone initiation in general medical settings. Register for the Science Series session here! Posted on January 27, 2026
WATCH THE RECORDING: T&I SIG Meeting: Scoping Review of Implementation Strategies to Reduce Stigma in Healthcare Settings (Jan 20, 2026, 9am PT)
The recording from the CTN Translation & Implementation (T&I) SIG meeting on January 20, 2026 (9-10am PT), featuring guest speakers Camille Cioffi, PhD (Oregon Research Institute, University of OR), and Bryan Hartzler, PhD (Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute, University of WA), is now available! Stigma toward people with substance use disorders (SUD) remains a major barrier to care. In their session, titled, “A Scoping Review of Implementation Strategies to Reduce Stigma Toward People Who Use Substances in Healthcare Settings,” Drs. Cioffi and Hartzler described the methods, results, and implications of…
News from the Appalachian Node
The CTN-0135 Aim 2 manuscript has been published in JAMA Open Network: Kawasaki SS, Liebschutz JM, Murray-Krezan C, Switzer GE, Nash S, Jeong K, Winstanley EL. Barriers to Buprenorphine Initiation in Patients Using Fentanyl. JAMA Netw Open 2026 ;9(1):e2552136. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.52136. PMID: 41490107; PMCID: PMC12771233. Find it in the CTN Dissemination Library The Appalachian Node will be facilitating a symposium at the 2026 annual meeting of the College on the Problems of Drug Dependence (CPDD) [June 13-17 in Portland, Oregon] on science communication. Our symposium will summarize multimedia strategies we…
New in the Library (December 2025 – January 2026)
Here are the latest items added to the CTN Dissemination Library for December 2025 – January 2026 (this post will be updated as new items come in): A scoping review of implementation strategies to reduce stigma toward people who use substances in healthcare settings. Cioffi C & Hartzler B. Webinar from the CTN Translation & Implementation SIG, January 2026. There and back again: Continuing efforts via regional partnership to promote workforce awareness of scientific advancements in addiction care [commentary]. Hartzler B, et al. Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment…
New in the Library (November – December 2025)
Here are the latest items added to the CTN Dissemination Library for November – December 2025 (this post will be updated as new items come in): Quality of life and treatment effectiveness direct and indirect effects on cocaine abstinence outcomes during cocaine use disorder treatment. Smith CL, et al. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 2026;278:112993. (CTN-0148) A clinical trial loses access to some of its experimental treatment conditions: What can be done? Meyers-Ohki S, et al. Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment 2025: 209854 (in press). (CTN-0100) Gender-specific addiction research…
CTN Primary Care SIG: Whole-Person Care for People Who Use Methamphetamine (Jan. 26, 2026, 12-1pm ET)
The Primary Care SIG aims to engage primary care in research, develop substance use treatment interventions relevant to community-based practice, and promote the transfer of evidence-based results from substance use research into community-based practices. Next Primary Care SIG Meeting Whole Person Primary Care for Persons Who Use Methamphetamine: Hearts, Lungs, Bugs, and BrainsJanuary 26, 2026 | 12-1pm ET Steven Shoptaw, PhDGeorge F Kneller Term Chair in Family Medicine, UCLAVice Chair of Research and Professor in Family Medicine, UCLA Join Zoom MeetingMeeting ID: 943 3434 2090Passcode: 370819 Primary Care SIG Schedule…
News from the Ohio Valley Node: CTN-0152 Opens for Recruitment!
The CTN-OVN has successfully led pre-initiation activities for the CTN-0152 (TAB; LI – Winhusen) study, and the first two sites are now open for participant recruitment. TAB is a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, intent-to-treat trial designed to evaluate the effect of weekly subcutaneous (SQ) tirzepatide versus placebo as an adjunct to buprenorphine maintenance treatment (BUP) for opioid use disorder. Approximately 310 participants who have recently initiated BUP will be randomized across 10 study sites. Congratulations to the study teams at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Nashville, TN) and West Virginia University Medicine…
News from the New York Node: Annual Meeting Convened
The NY Node held a full-day in-person meeting in New York City on Oct. 17, 2025. The annual meeting brought together more than 90 participants from New York, New Jersey, and Maryland. The goal of the meeting was to understand clinical and research priorities of service providers and public health partners, identify key areas for collaboration, and shape the Node’s research agenda within the national CTN. Attendees represented major health systems and FQHCs, governmental and public health agencies, community-based treatment and low barrier programs, and academic trainees and investigators. The…
News from the Greater Intermountain Node: CTN-0151, Podcast, Last Call for JSAT Special Issue
CTN-0151 at AMERSA 2025 CTN-0151 was featured at the Association for Multidisciplinary Education and Research in Substance Use and Addiction (AMERSA) 2025 conference with the poster: “Stakeholder Perspectives on Community Pharmacists’ Prescribing and Management of Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder Under a Collaborative Pharmacy Practice Agreement,” presented by Greater Intermountain Node Clinical Research Coordinator, Melissa Tysko. The poster highlighted CTN-0151’s goal to develop a model for community pharmacist-managed buprenorphine for opioid use disorder. As part of the study, researchers conducted qualitative interviews with stakeholders in community pharmacy and MOUD treatment—including…
CTN Youth SIG: Watch the Recording from November’s Session
The recording from November 2025’s CTN Youth Special Interest Group webinar is now available in the CTN Dissemination Library! Advancing equity through implementation science in adolescent substance use prevention Culturally and contextually grounded preventive interventions can address upstream risk and protective factors to improve equity, but only if they are implemented in systems that serve underrepresented groups. This presentation from Cady Berkel, PhD (Arizona State University) shared findings a program of community based research conducted in partnership with multiple settings (e.g., pediatric primary care, family courts, corrections) to advance equitable…
News from the PNW Node: Dr. Andy Saxon Receives AAAP Outstanding Achievement & Service Award
Long-time Pacific Northwest Node member Andy Saxon, MD is the recipient of the 2025 Outstanding Achievement and Service Award from the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP). This honor is presented to an outstanding member of the community who works in the field of addiction and who has contributed significantly to the science, teaching, treatment, and/or advocacy related to substance use disorders and co-occurring mental illness. Before his entry into psychiatry, Dr. Saxon completed an internal medicine internship and worked for four years as an emergency room physician. Following a general psychiatry…