The ADHD drug Ritalin could help get Americans off cocaine, a study suggests.
Researchers at the University of Virginia say animal studies have shown the drug reduces dependence on the white powder and could help treat cocaine addiction, though scientists admitted the results were “more mixed” in humans.
They have now assembled a library of different forms of methylphenidate (MPH) – the active ingredient in Ritalin – and are looking for a form that could treat cocaine addiction.
It is estimated that about 5 million Americans use cocaine each year, and about 25,000 die from it each year.
Riddled with international trade and crime, the US cocaine market is estimated to be worth more than $34 billion. Researchers say any drug that helps combat addiction would be another tool in the country’s arsenal against this illegal trade.
University of Virginia researchers say animal studies have shown Ritalin reduces cocaine dependence, though results in humans are more mixed (stock)
Ritalin is available as a pill for children and adults suffering from attention deficit/hyperactive disorder (ADHD) and can only be obtained with a prescription.
It works in a similar way to cocaine and increases levels of the feel-good hormone dopamine in the brain, which can lead to feelings of euphoria. For ADHD patients, this boost helps them focus and avoid impulsive behaviors.
But scientists say patients who use the drug are less likely to abuse than if they used cocaine.
To write a press release published by the American Chemical Society, the scientists said, ‘While animal studies have shown that[Ritalin]can reduce cocaine addiction, human studies have had more mixed results.
“For example, researchers are developing libraries of (types of Ritalin), looking for (one) with improved clinical efficacy.”
Like cocaine, Ritalin is also classified as a Schedule II substance, as are fentanyl and oxycodone, meaning it is believed to have a high potential for abuse.
However, methadone, a drug administered to treat heroin addiction, is also a Schedule II substance.
This is not the first study to examine whether MPH can alleviate cocaine addiction. Previous research has been conducted in mice, rats and primates, but has yielded mixed results.
a Study from 2012 involving rhesus macaques, it was found that there was no significant difference between primates that did and did not get MPH in terms of how their addiction abated.
A second type of ADHD drug, Adderall, uses an active ingredient other than Ritalin — amphetamines — and works for about four to six hours. In recent years, however, it has become a common party drug, with people using it to induce a feeling of euphoria.
Ritalin, which is more popular in Europe, also causes a rise in dopamine levels through a separate mechanism. The effects last about three to four hours, scientists say.
Estimates show that about 2 million Americans have a prescription for Ritalin, while about four percent of high school students abuse the drug annually.
While Ritalin’s potential to fight cocaine addiction is a more recent development, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has historically tried to find drugs to treat this condition.
In the early 2000s, several studies investigated the use of disulfiram – which can help with alcoholism – to treat cocaine addiction, but had mixed results.
In addition, research has also been done on the narcolepsy treatment modafinil, but the results were also inconsistent.