Troriluzole as a treatment for methamphetamine addiction
Official title: Advancing Troriluzole as a Treatment for Methamphetamine Use Disorder: A Human Laboratory Study
Funded at University of Kentucky · NIH-11319049 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether the medication troriluzole can help people with methamphetamine use disorder reduce cravings and drug-seeking, including those who also use opioids.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Kentucky NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lexington, United States) |
| Project start | April 15, 2025 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $621,805 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA060632-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11319049 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults diagnosed with methamphetamine use disorder, including some people who co-use opioids, who can attend repeated laboratory visits in Lexington, KY would be the main candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without methamphetamine use disorder, those seeking immediate detoxification or long-term treatment plans, or those unable to travel to the study site would not benefit from participating in this lab-based project.
What this research studies
You would take the experimental medication troriluzole in controlled lab sessions at the University of Kentucky while researchers monitor behavior and brain-related markers linked to glutamate. The team will compare responses on drug‑seeking tasks, craving measures, and neurochemical signals after taking troriluzole versus placebo. Sessions are performed in a human laboratory setting rather than long-term outpatient treatment, with repeated visits and close medical supervision. The work builds on animal studies that showed troriluzole reduced methamphetamine intake and related brain changes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to a new medication approach that lowers methamphetamine use and risk of relapse.
How similar studies have gone: Preclinical (animal) studies showed promise for troriluzole in reducing methamphetamine intake and altering glutamate, but human clinical data are limited and this human laboratory approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
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University of Kentucky
Lexington, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Stoops, William Walton — University of Kentucky
- Study coordinator: Stoops, William Walton
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Tirzepatide for Methamphetamine Use Disorder in adults with diabetes
A study will test whether an approved diabetes drug, tirzepatide, helps adults with methamphetamine use disorder who have diabetes.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.