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Could a common antidepressant and ADHD drug curb alcohol cravings?
NCT ID NCT03575403
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looked at whether combining two existing drugs—duloxetine (an antidepressant) and methylphenidate (an ADHD medication)—could reduce the desire to drink alcohol in people with alcohol use disorder. Nineteen adults who were not seeking treatment participated in a lab setting. Researchers measured how much alcohol participants said they would buy at different prices, both before and after drinking, while on the drug combination or a placebo.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 1
The first testing in people. Mainly checks safety and dose, usually in a small group.
- Participants
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19 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Sep 2018
- Finished
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Mar 2023
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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21 to 55 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * able to speak/read English * not seeking treatment at the time of the study * one binge drinking episode (5+/4+ standard alcoholic drinks per drinking session for men and women, respectively) in the past 30 days * recent alcohol use verified by ethyl glucuronide positive urine, as well as fulfillment of DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for alcohol use disorder * ECG within normal limits * otherwise healthy * body mass index of 19-35 * females using an effective form of birth control and not pregnant or breast feeding * judged by the medical staff to be psychiatrically and physically healthy * able to abstain from alcohol for 12 hours prior to session Exclusion Criteria * Not under 21 years of age or over 55 years of age * no contraindications/allergies to alcohol, duloxetine, or methylphenidate
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University of Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky, 40511, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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