Conditions: Heroin Dependence Nicotine Dependence
Allocation: RANDOMIZED | Intervention model: PARALLEL
Enrollment: 82
Healthy volunteers: yes

Brief summary:
The goal of the proposed research is to improve the effectiveness of treatments for opioid and for nicotine dependence by testing a novel pharmacological strategy. Specifically, pioglitazone, a peroxisome proliferator-activated gamma receptor (PPARγ) agonist, will be used as an adjunct to agonist-based treatment.

Detailed description:
Although treatments for opioid and for nicotine dependence exist, these medications are not universally effective as many patients are unable to stop using or relapse rapidly, suggesting that treatment with a single agent alone is insufficient to facilitate cessation of use in many patients. Targeting additional pathways that may contribute to the maintenance of drug-taking behaviors or relapse may be a more effective strategy to treat individuals resistant to first-line approaches.

Arms:
arm 1: Participants will be maintained on 0 mg of Pioglitazone (PIO) prior to sessions assessing the abuse liability of heroin. arm 2: Participants will be maintained on 15 mg of PIO prior to sessions assessing the abuse liability of heroin. arm 3: Participants will be maintained on 45 mg of PIO prior to sessions assessing the abuse liability of heroin. arm 4: Participants will be maintained on 0 mg of PIO prior to sessions assessing the abuse liability of nicotine. arm 5: Participants will be maintained on 15 mg of PIO prior to sessions assessing the abuse liability of nicotine arm 6: Participants will be maintained on 45 mg of PIO prior to sessions assessing the abuse liability of nicotine

Interventions: intervention 1: PIO intervention 2: Placebo
Intervention descriptions: intervention 1: 0, 15, and 45 mg per day. intervention 2: Placebo

Protocol document: