CTBH was awarded a grant from the Justice Community Opioid Overdose Network (JCOIN) at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to conduct a multi-stage line of research to assess the clinical utility of GLP-1s in addressing poly-substance use disorders (SUDs) among individuals involved in criminal justice systems. CTBH at Dartmouth is collaborating with New York University, Yale and Friends Research Institute on this multi-site research project.
Stage 1 of this project will be a mixed-methods Feasibility/Acceptability study including qualitative and quantitative data collection with incarcerated individuals as well as health care providers, administrative leadership and other staff in corrections settings assessing interest, adoption and optimal protocols for GLP-1s for currently approved indications (diabetes/overweight/obesity/other) and SUDs. Stage 2 proposes a multi-site, effectiveness-implementation randomized trial of GLP-1s on-label among pre-release adults with active SUDs (opioid, stimulant, alcohol, nicotine, cannabis), and includes an assessment of post-release outcomes for SUDs (e.g., cravings, overdose, treatment retention, return to use) and medical conditions (weight, glucose control).
This will be the first multisite clinical assessment of GLP-1s targeting SUDs in criminal justice settings.