UMB’s series of videos about our groundbreaking research begins with the School of Medicine’s Sarah Kattakuzhy, MD, talking about studies to find more novel treatments to fight cocaine use disorder.
At the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), groundbreaking discoveries happen every day — transforming medicine, improving health, and shaping the future. From changing legal policy to pioneering treatments to cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs, UMB researchers are tackling real-world challenges and making a lasting impact on lives everywhere.
In our “Breakthroughs Can’t Wait: Changing the Future Today” series of videos, we will dive into inspiring stories of innovation from across UMB’s seven schools. See how scientists, doctors, and experts are addressing today’s most pressing issues — fueled by the critical support of government funding that drives progress forward.
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Although popular media tend to focus on alcohol, heroin, and synthetic drug abuse, cocaine abuse disorder afflicts some 1.5 million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Unfortunately, despite the decades of knowledge about this, we have no FDA-approved treatments for cocaine use disorder,” says Sarah M. Kattakuzhy, MD, associate professor, University of Maryland School of Medicine.
Kattakuzhy, who also is associate director of the Kahlert Institute for Addiction Medicine, is set to begin a 16-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial to determine if semaglutide, a GLP-1 agonist sometimes marketed under names such as Ozempic and Wegovy, can safely improve drug use outcomes and reduce cocaine abuse among patients with cocaine use disorder.
Watch and listen to the video below as Dr. Kattakuzhy answers questions about her research.