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 Appalachian Node
The Appalachian Node has received a notice of award for funding for the next seven years (FY25 – FY32). We are excited to welcome to our newest partners, University of Maryland Baltimore and the PATH Network.
Fellowship in Addiction Dissemination & Implementation Science – Apply by April 1!
Applications are now being accepted for the 2025–2026 Center for Dissemination and Implementation At Stanford (C-DIAS) Fellowship in Addiction Dissemination & Implementation (D&I) Science. The C-DIAS Fellowship in Addiction Dissemination & Implementation (D&I) Science is for early or mid-career individuals with goals to improve public access to and quality of addiction treatment by leveraging advanced implementation science methods. Submit your application by April 1st, 2025. This year-long mentored learning experience: Activities include monthly, virtual, hour-long lectures; participation in the C-DIAS Research Core sections activities; C-DIAS Virtual Grand Rounds; individualized mentoring; lead…
New in the Library (January-February 2025)
Here are the latest items added to the CTN Dissemination Library for January – February 2025 (this post will be updated as new items come in): Optimizing Retention Strategies for Opioid Use Disorder Pharmacotherapy: The Retention Phase of the CTN-0100 Trial (RDD). Shulman M, et al. Contemporary Clinical Trials 2025;107816 (in press). (CTN-0100) Age, Period, and Cohort Effects in Alcohol and Other Substance Use: Implications for Health and Prevention (webinar). Keyes KM. Youth Special Interest Group (SIG) webinar, January 2025. Effects of Randomization to Buprenorphine or Naltrexone for OUD on…
CTN-0096 (Tribal MOUD): Notice of Data Lock Completion
Culturally Centering Medications for Opioid Use Disorder with American Indian and Alaska Native Communities (CTN-0096, Tribal MOUD) – Notice of Data Lock Completion Incorporating American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) traditional practices and knowledge into healthcare can support AI/AN health. Despite higher rates of abstinence, AI/AN experience the highest rates of overdose mortality due to the ongoing impact of colonization, historical trauma, discriminatory policies, and under-resourced healthcare. Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD; e.g., buprenorphine, methadone, naltrexone) are the most effective treatment for reducing opioid-related mortality. CTN-0096 (Tribal MOUD) was…
News from the Pacific Northwest Node
The Pacific Northwest Node of the NIDA Clinical Trials Network, located at the UW Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute and directed by Mary Hatch, PhD, and John Roll, PhD, had a very productive 2024, with 4 published papers and 4 more in the works! New Publications First, they recently participated in the publication of four papers from CTN-0082, Implementation Survey of PrEP and Opioid Use Related Services in STI Clinics and Community Based Organizations (CBOs), including two outcomes papers (first two listed here): The two outcome papers found that people…
News from the Northeast Node: ED Treatment of OUD webinar (Feb 6, 9am PT)
Join the Northeast Node on February 6 (9am-10am PT) for the next installment in their Science Series: Emergency Department Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder: Innovation & Discovery. Opioid use disorder (OUD) took the lives of an estimated 107,543 people in the United States in 2023, yet medications to treat OUD are effective and widely available. Emergency departments are a 24/7/365 option for combating this crisis and saving lives. In this presentation, Dr. Gail D’Onofrio will discuss the evidence regarding initiation of buprenorphine in the ED, describe innovations in dosing and…
Injectable Buprenorphine: New Factsheets from CTN PNW Node
Buprenorphine is one of three medications (methadone and naltrexone being the other two) approved for use to treat opioid use disorder. It is available as a film or tablet, and more recently as two long-acting extended-release injectables. Sublocade™ was first to be approved by the FDA in November 2017. More recently, in May 2023, Brixadi™ received approval. In January 2024 it was added to the WA state Medicaid formulary. Fewer clinicians have experience using Brixadi™ than Sublocade™. The CTN Pacific Northwest Node recently developed a set of videos intended to aid prescribers in their…
New in the Library (December 2024 – January 2025)
Here are the latest items added to the CTN Dissemination Library for December 2024 -January 2024 (this post will be updated as new items come in): Willingness to Use Oral and Long-Acting Injectable PrEP in Substance-Using Men Who Have Sex with Men (SU-MSM) in High HIV Incidence Southern U.S. Cities: A NIDA Clinical Trials Network Study. Tross S, et al. AIDS and Behavior 2024 (in press). (CTN-0082 outcomes) HIV Prevention in Syringe Service Programs Since the Start of COVID-19: Where Do We Go From Here? Hatch MA, et al. Current…
NIDA Drug Repurposing and Repositioning Insights for Treating Substance Use Disorders Challenge
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…
New in the Library (November-December 2024)
Here are the latest items added to the CTN Dissemination Library for November-December 2024 (this post will be updated as new items come in): Factors Associated with PrEP Awareness and Use Among Men Who Have Sex with Men Who Use Drugs in the Southern United States. Paschen-Wolff M, et al. AIDS Care 2024 (in press). (CTN-0082) Efficient and Flexible Mediation Analysis with Time-Varying Mediator, Treatments, and Confounders. Díaz I, Journal of Causal Inference 2023;11(1):20220077. (CTN-0051) Pharmacy-Based Preventive Services for Opioid Use Disorder: A Survey of U.S. Pharmacists. Wu L, et al….
Western States Node/ATTC Webinar: Cannabis Use During Pregnancy: Research from Policy to Practice (Feb 12, 11am PT)
In this webinar sponsored by the Western States Node and the Northwest and Pacific Southwest ATTCs, Kelly Young-Wolff, PhD, MPH (a licensed clinical psychologist and research scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Northern CA Division of Research) will describe what is known about prenatal cannabis use trends and health consequences using data from Kaiser Permanente Northern California’s large integrated healthcare delivery system. She will discuss why pregnant individuals use cannabis, describe disparities in prenatal cannabis use and related outcomes, and end with a discussion about the potential harms of punitive policies…
Youth SIG Webinar: Age, Period, and Cohort Effects in Alcohol and Other Substance Use (Jan 17, 11am ET)
Join the CTN Youth SIG for their next webinar, “Age, Period, and Cohort Effects in Alcohol and Other Substance Use: Implications for Health and Prevention,” presented by Katherine M. Keyes, PhD (Columbia University), on Friday, January 17, 2025, 11am-12pm ET. Incidence, prevalence, and persistence of substance use differ by generation and by substance. Understanding how each generation uses alcohol and other drugs, why, and how health is implicated is critical for public health. The presentation will overview what we know about current trends in substance use, how rates are organized…
CTN Primary Care SIG Webinar: Engaging Rural Communities and Practices in Substance Use Research (Jan. 27, 12pm ET)
The NIH recently launched a $30 million Communities Advancing Research Equity (CARE) for Health Initiative, which funds primary care research network hubs to engage rural communities and practices in research. As part of the pilot, CTN-0139 (Co-Care) is engaging with two newly funded rural hubs to expand engagement and recruitment in small rural practices. The January 27, 2025 Primary Care SIG meeting (12pm ET, 9am PT) will feature a panel to discuss how CARE for Health synergistically can enhance and contribute to CTN trials. The panel will include: Connect to the Zoom meeting.ID:…
Recording available: NIDA CTN: Future of AI in Medicine: Medical Imaging as an Example
A recording of this webinar, held on November 20, 2024, is now available! (passcode: N7A3h^SX) Presenter:Dr. Curt LanglotzProfessor of Radiology, Medicine, and Biomedical Data ScienceSenior Associate Vice Provost for ResearchDirector, Center for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine & ImagingSenior Fellow, Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is an incredibly powerful tool for building systems that support the work of clinicians and researchers. Over the last decade, machine learning methods have revolutionized the analysis of medical data, leading to high interest and explosive growth in the use of AI and machine learning…
Learning for Early Careers in Addiction & Diversity (LEAD Program): Deadline extended to Jan 6!
The Learning for Early Careers in Addiction and Diversity (LEAD) program offers mentorship and training to postdoctoral fellows and assistant professors who are pursuing independent research careers in substance use and substance use disorder treatment. This support is aimed at individuals from racial and ethnic minoritized groups who are underrepresented among NIH-funded investigators in this field. The LEAD Program uses the NIDA Clinical Trials Network (CTN) as a platform for training early-careerinvestigators. This 3-year training program is based at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and visiting scholars spend…
NIDA Diversity Scholars Network Program Now Accepting Applications!
The NIDA Office of Research Training, Diversity, and Disparities (ORTDD) is excited to share that the 2025 NIDA Diversity Scholars Network (NDSN) program is now accepting applications! The deadline to apply is January 31, 2025! NIDA is seeking applications from individuals from diverse backgrounds, including those from underrepresented groups, who are interested in conducting substance use and addiction research. The NDSN is a grant-writing program aimed at enhancing the funding success of early-stage investigators. The program consists of three workshops and culminates in a mock review meeting experience. Questions? Contact Isabela Ellenwood (NDSN@nih.gov)….
Youth SIG Webinar Recording Available: Scaling Out Evidence-Based Interventions Through Primary Care Settings: A Case Study of the PAAS Program
The CTN Youth SIG hosted the following webinar in November 2024. The recording is now available! Title: Scaling Out Evidence-Based Interventions Through Primary Care Settings: A Case Study of the Pathways for African Americans (PAAS) Program Presenter:Velma McBride Murry, PhDLois Autrey Betts Endowed ChairCo-Director, Vanderbilt University Medical Center Program for Health Equity ResearchDistinguished University Professor, Departments of Health Policy & Human and Organizational Development, Vanderbilt University This presentation highlighted the role of primary care setting as a conduit for evidence-based intervention access for families. In addition, attention was given the need to focus…
News from the Southern Consortium Node
The Southern Consortium Node held its quarterly Policy Advisory Committee meeting on September 16, 2024 at the Tri-County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse in Orangeburg, SC. One of the committee’s members, Mike Dennis, leads Tri-County and provided the committee with a tour of its newly-constructed adolescent treatment facility. The committee then convened for an in-depth discussion of challenges and opportunities for research and practice enhancement in the areas of substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery, with a special focus on the Southeastern region of the United States. Posted…
News from the Health Systems Node
Kelly Young-Wolff, PhD, MPH, Health System Node faculty, and Research Scientist at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, co-authored a new report examining the problem of increasing potency of cannabis and cannabis products as a member of an independent scientific committee convened by the California Department of Public Health. The report, Report and Recommendations of the High Potency Cannabis Think Tank to the State of California, shares health and equity-based policy recommendations to increase public awareness, promote safer use and reduce exposure to the highest risk groups. Download…