Briefly Noted

Researchers have found that mirtazapine, in addition to counseling for substance use, reduced methamphetamine use and some HIV risk behaviors in cisgender men and transgender women who have sex with men. Mirtazapine, an antidepressant also known as Remeron, showed benefits after treatment ended, even if patients didn't always take their medication or took less than they were supposed to. The study follows a previous study of mirtazapine finding reductions in methamphetamine use and sexual risk behaviors among men who have sex with men. “Effects of mirtazapine for methamphetamine use disorder among cisgender men and transgender women who have sex with men: A placebo‐controlled randomized clinical trial” was published in JAMA Psychiatry online last week by Phillip Coffin, M.D. and colleagues. The RCT took place over a course of 24 weeks from 2013 to 2017 in San Francisco. Main outcomes measured were urine tests for methamphetamine and sexual risk behaviors, with sleep, methamphetamine craving, dependence severity, and adverse events also assessed. Sexual risk behaviors included number of sexual partners, and frequency of condomless anal sex. Participants assigned to mirtazapine also had reductions in depressive symptoms.