Could ketamine therapy help people quit meth?

NCT ID NCT06538285

First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This pilot study tests whether combining ketamine injections with talk therapy is a safe and acceptable way to treat moderate-to-severe methamphetamine use disorder in 17 publicly insured patients, some of whom have or are at risk for HIV. Participants receive three monitored ketamine doses plus several therapy sessions, and report their meth use over three months. The goal is to see if this approach is feasible and tolerable, not yet to prove it works.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

Ketamine (given as a shot) combined with talk therapy

What this could lead to

If this works, it could point toward a new treatment option for people with methamphetamine use disorder, especially those also at risk for HIV.

What could go wrong

This is a very small pilot study with only 17 participants, so results may not apply to everyone. Ketamine can cause side effects like high blood pressure or dissociation, and the therapy is intensive.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

Chemsex methamphetamine dependence Sexual Behavior

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • San Francisco Department of Public Health

    San Francicso, California, 94102, United States