GLP-1 Agonism for Blocking Cocaine Euphoria and Self-Administration

Inclusion criteria

• age 18 - 50 years,
• voluntary, written, informed consent,
• physically healthy by medical history, physical, neurological, ECG, and laboratory examinations,
• DSM-IV criteria for Cocaine Abuse (305.60) or Cocaine Dependence (304.20)
• recent street cocaine use in excess of amounts to be administered in the current study,
• intravenous and/or smoked (crack/ freebase) use,
• positive urine toxicology screen for cocaine,
• for females, non-lactating, no longer of child-bearing potential (or agree to practice effective contraception during the study), and a negative serum pregnancy (β-HCG) test.

Exclusion criteria

• Other drug dependence (except nicotine) as determined by urine toxicology or interview
• < 1 year of cocaine dependence,
• a primary major DSM-IV psychiatric diagnosis (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, etc.), unrelated to cocaine,
• a history of significant medical (cardiovascular) or neurological illness, ie prior myocardial infarction, current active symptoms of cardiovascular disease / angina, evidence of cocaine-related cardiovascular symptoms, prior arrhythmias or need for cardiovascular resuscitation, neurovascular events such as transient ischemic attacks, stroke, and/or seizures Parameters re: elevations in vital signs are now explicitly specified under "Safety features built into our one-day self-administration paradigm).
• current use of psychotropic and/or potentially psychoactive prescription medication,
• seeking treatment for drug abuse/dependence (for experimental cocaine component),
• physical or laboratory (β-HCG) evidence of pregnancy.
• current use of any medication (prescription or over-the-counter) determined to cause potential drug interactions by the study physicians.