Substance Abuse clinical trials at UCSF

5 in progress, 3 open to eligible people

Substance abuse means using drugs or alcohol in a harmful way. UCSF is looking for people to join clinical trials to help tackle this problem. One trial is testing a medication for people who use both tobacco and cannabis. Another trial is testing if texting can help young people stay away from drugs. The third trial is comparing two different medications to help people with opioid addiction.

Showing trials for

  • A Study Comparing Oral Buprenorphine and Injectable Buprenorphine for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    VA-BRAVE will determine whether a 28-day long-acting injectable sub-cutaneous (in the belly area) formulation of buprenorphine at a target dose of 300mg is superior in retaining Veterans in opioid treatment and in sustaining opioid abstinence compared to the daily sublingual (under the tongue) buprenorphine formulation at a target dose of 16-24 mg (standard of care). This is an open-label, randomized, controlled trial including 900 Veterans with opioid use disorder (OUD) recruited over 3 years and followed actively for 52 weeks. There are a number of secondary objectives that will be studied as well and include: comorbid substance use, both non-fatal and fatal opioid overdose, HIV and Hepatitis C (HCV) testing results and risk behaviors, incarceration, quality of life, psychiatric symptoms of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder, housing status, and cost-effectiveness.

    San Francisco, California and other locations

  • N-Acetylcysteine for Smoking Cessation in Tobacco and Cannabis Co-Use

    open to eligible people ages 18 years and up

    Tobacco and cannabis co-use is a common and growing public health problem, especially in states that have legalized cannabis. There are no pharmacologic treatments for co-occurring tobacco and cannabis use. Co-use may make quitting either substance more difficult, given the synergistic effects of cannabis and nicotine on neurobiological systems that mediate reward and shared cues reinforcing co-use. N-acetylcysteine (NAC), an FDA-approved medication and over-the-counter supplement, has shown promise in animal studies and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in reducing tobacco and cannabis craving and use.

    San Francisco, California

  • Using Technology to Reduce Youth Substance Use

    open to eligible people ages 13-18

    The research project will focus on conducting a trial of whether a tailored SMS text-messaging intervention is efficacious in improving justice-involved youths' substance use or dual diagnosis treatment attendance and engagement.

    San Francisco, California

  • Intervention for Virologic Suppression in Youth

    Sorry, not yet accepting patients

    The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to test the effect of a technology-based intervention with an Adaptive Treatment Strategy (ATS) among youth living with HIV (YLWH) (18-29 years old). This piloted and protocolized intervention combines: (1) brief weekly sessions with a counselor via a video-chat platform (video-counseling) to discuss mental health (MH), substance use (SU), HIV care engagement, and other barriers to care; and (2) a mobile health application (app) to address barriers such as ART forgetfulness and social isolation. Individuals who are not virologically suppressed will be randomized to video-counseling+app or standard of care (SOC). Through this study, the investigators will be able to: Aim 1: Test the efficacy of video-counseling+app vs SOC on virologic suppression in YLWH.The investigators will compare HIV virologic suppression of those randomized to the intervention vs control arms at 16 weeks via an RCT. Aim 2: Assess the impact of video-counseling+app vs SOC on MH and SU in YLWH. The investigators will evaluate the MH and SU differences between the intervention vs control arms at 16 weeks via an RCT. Aim 3: Explore an ATS to individualize the intervention by assigning the: 1. virologic "non-responders" in the intervention arm to intensified video-counseling+app for 16 more weeks, 2. virologic "responders" in the intervention arm to continue only app use for 16 more weeks. Researchers will compare the characteristics of virologic responders and non-responders to the intervention, individualization of the intervention based on these variables, and linkage to MH and SU treatment services among those in need to see if delivery of care is enhanced and impact on virologic suppression.

    San Francisco, California

  • Computerized Substance Use and Depression Screening and Behavioral Treatment in HIV Primary Care

    Sorry, in progress, not accepting new patients

    Substance use disorders (SUDs), depression and anxiety in HIV-infected patients result in poor HIV outcomes, yet are often unrecognized and untreated. To address these problems, this study examines the implementation and effectiveness of a clinical intervention consisting of self-administered tablet-based SUD and depression screening at routine HIV primary care clinic visits, followed by evidence-based treatments for SUD, anxiety and depression delivered by a behavioral health specialist. If successful, this study has potential to reduce SUD-, anxiety- and depression-related problems and reduce HIV treatment disparities for patients with these comorbidities.

    Oakland, California

Our lead scientists for Substance Abuse research studies include .

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