Greater Manchester Mental Health joins largest ever study of ketamine-assisted therapy for alcohol disorder
Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) has been announced as one of the four additional NHS Trusts to recently join the ‘Multi-centre Investigation of Increasing Alcohol Abstinence with Ketamine-assisted Psychological Therapy in Severe Alcohol Use Disorder’ (MORE-KARE) study.
People who are in treatment at GMMH’s Addiction Services for their alcohol use problems are able to apply to take part in the study, which will investigate whether ketamine-assisted therapy could help these people stop drinking.
More than half a million adults in the UK have a severe alcohol use disorder, with Greater Manchester experiencing far higher levels than the national average for both alcohol-related hospital admissions and deaths. However, only one in five adults in the UK who are experiencing severe alcohol use disorder actually access treatment and current treatments are not always successful.
Initial research in the 1980s found that ketamine treatment could reduce alcohol relapse rates, with more recent studies indicating that ketamine can serve as a fast-acting anti-depressant and may improve the learning of new information; both properties may help prevent a person struggling with alcohol addiction to reduce relapse.
The current MORE-KARE study builds on the findings of the previous KARE study, where participants who were given ketamine combined with mindfulness therapy was more effective.
In the current study, eligible participants will receive three treatments with an intravenous ketamine infusion, alongside seven sessions of one-to-one psychological support from a therapist. The dose of ketamine and type of psychological support received will be randomly assigned by a computer. To measure how effective the treatment is, participants will be asked to fill in drink diaries, wear a wrist device and self-breathalyse daily.
Chief investigator for the study, Dr Stephen Kaar, Consultant Addictions Psychiatrist at GMMH and Lecturer at the University Manchester, commented:
“This is a huge achievement for the study team and the culmination of a lot of hard work, so we’re incredibly happy to start recruitment now in Manchester.
“Alcohol problems have a huge impact on the person experiencing it as well as their family and friends. We have long needed new and innovative ways to support people in tackling their alcohol problem, and we hope MORE-KARE will represent a big step forward to using this treatment in the NHS to improve people’s lives.”
Dr Tracey Myton, a consultant addiction psychiatrist at GMMH’s Achieve Community Addiction Service, is the Principal Investigator for the Manchester area of the study. She commented:
“This is another excellent opportunity for our patients to get involved with research projects which will influence future treatments for people with addictions. We have seen that our patients who become involved in research feel empowered and that this involvement improves their prognosis, as well as giving people the opportunity to try new treatments.
“We are delighted that we are able to start inviting people to take part in the study and would encourage service users from the whole of GMMH who might be suffering with alcohol dependence to consider applying to the study. Staff might also identify patients who they think might benefit and encourage them to apply.
Participants can self-refer by completing a brief online self-assessment on the trial website. If they are potentially eligible, they will be directed to a GMMH email where a member of the team will arrange a more detailed pre-assessment over the phone. The call will cover key details about the trial and ask some questions about the person’s health and drinking habits. The call will last about 40 minutes and there will be plenty of time to ask questions.
MORE-KARE is funded by a partnership between the Medical Research Council and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), with additional funding from biotech company Awakn Life Sciences. The study is being led by the University of Exeter and will initially take place across eight NHS Trusts across the UK, including GMMH.
You can find out more about the MORE-KARE study, including how to take part, by visiting the GMMH study page here or at the University of Exeter’s website here. More information about GMMH’s Addictions Services can be found here.
References
1. Mekonen, T., et al., Treatment rates for alcohol use disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Addiction, 2021. 116(10): p. 2617-2634.
