Could a Stop-Smoking drug curb heavy drinking in HIV patients?
NCT ID NCT06006143
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This pilot study tests whether giving the smoking-cessation drug varenicline to people with HIV who also have alcohol use disorder is practical and safe. Thirty participants will receive the medication along with support from a pharmacist and psychiatrist. The goal is to see if this approach can reduce alcohol use, but the study is small and early, so results will be preliminary.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- varenicline
- What this could lead to
- If this works, it could point toward a practical way to help people with HIV reduce heavy drinking using an existing medication.
- What could go wrong
- This is a very small pilot study with only 30 participants, no placebo group, and it's not designed to prove the drug works. The medication is being used off-label, so unexpected side effects are possible.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
-
About 30 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jun 2025
- Expected to finish
-
Aug 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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: * diagnosed with HIV * Receive care at the Atlanta VA Healthcare System * Are age 18 or over * Meet criteria for mild, moderate, or severe alcohol use disorder by the DSM-5 Alcohol Symptom Checklist and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) screen * Have evidence of significant alcohol use: PEth \> 20ng/ml * Currently smoking cigarettes * Prescribed \>=5 medications * Have cell phone or reliable contact number * Can provide written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Active engagement in formal alcohol treatment including medications for alcohol use disorder at the time of enrollment * Self-report or laboratory test confirming pregnancy, nursing, or trying to conceive * Life-threatening or unstable medical, surgical, or psychiatric condition that prohibits participation (including current or past intent to harm oneself or others within the prior 12 months and not receiving treatment * Untreated moderate to severe opioid use disorder * Residence out of state * Inability to read or understand English * History of serious hypersensitivity or adverse reaction to study medication * Taking potentially interactive medication(s) (e.g. nicotine replacement therapy for varenicline pilot study) * Already prescribed the pilot medication at the time of study recruitment
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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
-
Atlanta VA Medical Center
Decatur, Georgia, 30033, United States
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