Panel discussion: Weight-loss drugs and substance use disorders: Could GLP-1 receptor agonists transform addiction medicine?

Panellists:
Professor Michael Farrell has been the Director of NDARC since 2011 and a member of the WHO Expert Committee on Drug and Alcohol Dependence since 1995. Prior to joining NDARC, he was Professor of Addiction Psychiatry at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London.

Dr Mary Harrod is the Chief Executive of NUAA, which is peer-based organisation staffed, governed and led by people with lived and living experience of illicit drug use. Under her leadership, NUAA has expanded its reach into the most marginalised communities of people who inject drugs while engaging with new communities through innovative programs such as DanceWize NSW, and pushing practical reforms that reduce stigma and improve access to care.

Professor Paul Haber AM is a physician specialising in addiction medicine and gastroenterology/hepatology. He has been a staff specialist at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital since 1998 and Clinical Director for Drug Health Services, Sydney Local Health District until his appointment as Executive Director Research for Sydney Local Health District in 2025. Professor Haber’s research mainly focuses on novel treatments for substance use disorders, including GLP-1 agonists and related agents.

Professor Sallie Pearson is Head of the Medicines Intelligence Research Program at the School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney. She is a Professor in Health Systems whose research focuses on pharmacoepidemiology, medicines policy and improving health outcomes through the safe and effective use of medicines.

Moderator:
Sophie Scott OAM is an award-winning broadcast journalist and professional speaker with more than 20 years' experience in communication. She is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney and serves on many advisory boards related to health.

Reimagining NSW's future for Aboriginal families and communities by focusing on the intersection between the alcohol and other drugs (AOD) sector and child and family wellbeing to build stronger support systems

Families are at the centre of Aboriginal communities. This presentation will share how a new multidisciplinary consortium will undertake systems-level analysis and coordinated responses to address policy priorities and community needs at the critical intersection between the AOD sector and child and family wellbeing. The consortium aims to improve referral pathways, minimise AOD harms, and strengthen interagency support for Aboriginal families during pregnancy and early childhood (0–5 years), fostering healthier, more resilient communities.

Associate Professor Summer Finlay is a Yorta Yorta woman and Director of the Ngarruwan Ngadju Research Centre at the University of Wollongong. A leading voice in Indigenous health and public health reform, she drives high-impact, community-led research grounded in Indigenous Standpoint and sovereignty, with a strong focus on translating evidence into tangible policy and systems change.

Spotlight on the National Centre for Clinical Research on Emerging Drugs (NCCRED)

GHB and its precursors in Australia: Rising harms, shifting markets and evolving risk behaviours

This systematic review examines the range of outcomes and measurement approaches used in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of pharmacotherapies for methamphetamine/amphetamine use disorder.

Dr Krista Siefried is the Clinical Research Lead and Deputy Director at NCCRED, with extensive experience conducting clinical research and trials in populations at risk of harms due to substance use disorders. She is also a Senior Lecturer at NDARC and the St Vincent's Hospital Sydney Alcohol and Drug Service.

Non-prescribed ketamine use in Australia: Results from a web-based survey

Non-prescribed ketamine use appears to have increased internationally and in Australia, yet patterns of use remain poorly characterised in an Australian context. This study aimed to describe ketamine use behaviours, motivations for using ketamine, and consequences related to ketamine use in a population of people who use ketamine.

Stassi Kypri is a PhD Candidate and Research Assistant at NCCRED, UNSW. His doctoral research involves a mixed-method exploration of ketamine and ketamine analogue use in Australia.

Navigating novel benzos: The practices and experiences of people sourcing benzodiazepines from unregulated markets

Detections of novel benzodiazepines (NBZs) – unregulated, illicitly manufactured compounds often not approved for medical use – have increased in Australia and globally in recent years. This qualitative study drew on in-depth interviews with individuals who sourced benzodiazepines from unregulated markets, including street-based and online sources.

Simon Caldwell is a Research Assistant at NCCRED. He previously worked in NDARC's Tobacco Research Group, where he worked on two large, randomised studies: the Vaporised Nicotine Product study and the Tailored Text Message study.

Illicit drug-related harms in Australia

Illicit alcohol in Australia: Initial availability estimates and known harms

Illicit alcohol sales account for 90% of all alcohol-related lost tax revenue in Australia. To establish initial availability estimates of illicit alcohol, covert store audits were conducted at over 150 bottle shops across the Eastern Seaboard. Results found illicit alcohol products containing harmful contaminants are readily available for purchase by unsuspecting consumers in licensed bottle shops, alongside licit products, across Eastern Australia.

Dr Michala Kowalski is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at NDARC. Her research program includes mixed-methods studies of drug and alcohol policy, with a particular interest in policy development and evaluations. In collaboration with Dr Nic Taylor from the National Drug Research Institute, she has pioneered research into the illicit alcohol market in Australia.

Shifting nicotine landscapes: Illicit tobacco, vaping and emerging products among people who use drugs

There is growing concern about the expansion of illicit tobacco and nicotine markets in Australia. This presentation will synthesise findings from a series of Drug Trends papers to examine: i) trends in tobacco, e-cigarette (vapes), and nicotine pouch use among samples of people who regularly use illicit drugs, ii) patterns of concurrent nicotine product use, and iii) the characteristics of people using these products.

Dr Rachel Sutherland is a Senior Research Fellow and Deputy Leader of the Drug Trends Program at NDARC. Her research program is focused on monitoring systems for detecting trends in illicit drug use, including new psychoactive substances, and developing and evaluating novel responses to emerging drugs of concern.

Seasonal variations in drug-induced deaths in Australia, 2000-2021

Understanding seasonal variation of drug-induced deaths may inform targeted prevention and harm minimisation strategies; however, this has not previously been examined in Australia. A time series analysis was conducted, which involved all unintentional and intentional adult drug-induced deaths in Australia between 2000 and 2021.

Scientia Associate Professor Natasa Gisev is a Clinical Pharmacist and Scientia Associate Professor at NDARC. Her research is focused on the use of big data and data linkage to evaluate medicines use and their benefits/harms among populations with complex health care needs, with the goal of improving the quality use of medicines and outcomes in these populations.

The effectiveness and safety of smoking cessation pharmacotherapies during pregnancy

This presentation will explore how a series of large, multi-national studies have improved our understanding of the risks and benefits of using quit-smoking medicines during pregnancy and what this means for clinical practice.

Dr Alys Havard is a Deputy Director and Associate Professor at NDARC. Her research uses linked administrative data to improve our understanding of how medicines are used at a population level, and their safety and effectiveness in real-world settings, particularly among pregnant women.

Engagement and retention in opioid agonist treatment during pregnancy and postpartum

This presentation will explore what a series of NSW-based studies reveals about future research needs regarding opioid agonist treatment for women during and after pregnancy.

Dr Duong (Danielle) Tran is a Senior Research Fellow at NDARC with more than 15 years' research experience in the utilisation of medicines, health services and health outcomes. She has led multinational studies investigating the use and safety of prescription medicines in pregnancy.

Use and safety of prescription opioid analgesics during pregnancy and postpartum

This presentation will explore what a package of NSW-based and multi-national cohort studies reveals about how many women use opioids during pregnancy and after birth and what the short- and long-term effects are.

Dr Bianca Varney is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at NDARC whose research harnesses linked, large-scale healthcare data to explore how medicines are used in everyday settings and to evaluate their safety outside of clinical trials. This work primarily focuses on medicine use and safety before, during and after pregnancy.

Youth co-design in longitudinal research: A mixed-methods evaluation of the Next Wave Youth Council

Youth advisory groups are a promising method of both engaging adolescents in research of relevance to them and their peers, and in ensuring studies better reflect their needs and preferences. The Next Wave Youth Council was established to co-design an upcoming cohort study examining alcohol use and health outcomes in Australian adolescents. This presentation will describe the Council's activities and contributions, evaluation methodology and early findings. It will be co-presented with Natalia Chrzanowska, a member of the Council passionate about ensuring health research authentically reflects the experiences of her generation.

Sarah Ticehurst is a Senior Research Officer at NDARC, where she is primarily responsible for the project management of Next Wave, an upcoming cohort study examining the impact of alcohol availability, access and marketing on young people's health.

Natalia Chrzanowska is a member of the Next Wave Youth Council, a group of 15–18-year-olds co-designing an upcoming cohort study. Natalia is passionate about ensuring health research authentically reflects the experiences of young Australians, and has contributed to survey development, recruitment and retention strategies, and the creative direction of the study.

The impact of major depressive disorder on treatment outcomes for people with methamphetamine dependence

Among people entering treatment for methamphetamine use, major depressive disorder is common. We examined the impact of major depression on treatment outcomes for people entering residential rehabilitation for methamphetamine use.

Lucy Tran is a Research Officer and Doctoral Candidate at NDARC with a strong interest in the mental health and alcohol and other drugs fields. Her PhD project explores the association between mental health and substance use comorbidities and treatment.

A pilot study of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy for methamphetamine use disorder

Ketamine combined with structured psychological support may provide a new therapeutic option for substance use disorders. The KAPPA study pilot trial was undertaken by NCCRED at St Vincent’s Hospital to examine the safety and feasibility of ketamine-assisted psychotherapy in the treatment of methamphetamine use disorder. Preliminary findings from the study will be presented here.

Dr Brendan Clifford is a Clinician Researcher at St Vincent's Hospital Sydney and a Conjoint Senior Lecturer at NDARC. He uses interdisciplinary methods to further health equity and enhance access to evidence-based healthcare and has a broad clinical background having worked in nursing in Ireland, the UK and Australia.

Models of service delivery for opioid use disorder medications: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials and observational studies

Pharmacological treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) is typically delivered in specialised clinics, often under daily supervision, with strict requirements for entry and continuation. We aimed to examine features of service delivery aimed at expanding access to treatments and improving quality of care.

Kendal Chidwick is a Pharmacoepidemiologist and Doctoral Candidate at NDARC. She works on projects to synthesise evidence on innovative approaches to service provision for treating opioid use disorder, compare treatments for acute management of opioid withdrawal, describe trends in sales of opioid agonist treatment, and the impact of long-acting injectable buprenorphine.

Prevalence of health service utilisation prior to drug deaths: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Drug deaths remain a major and preventable cause of mortality, and every health service interaction provides an opportunity to identify risk and prevent deaths. We aimed to systematically synthesise international evidence on the prevalence of health service utilisation preceding drug deaths by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Khine Wut Yee Kyaw is a Research Assistant and Doctoral Candidate at NDARC, with a strong interest in mental health and harm reduction. Her research focuses on drug-related mortality and health service utilisation before drug-related deaths.

Stigma towards people who use drugs in frontline non-clinical healthcare workers

Non-clinical staff are often the face of healthcare services but do not have access to the same training and support that clinicians do. Despite their essential role, stigmatising attitudes towards people who inject drugs have not been investigated in this population. An analysis of data from an online survey of healthcare workers in Australia suggests attitudes and behaviours of non-clinical staff towards people who inject drugs need further consideration in stigma-reduction strategies and research.

Dr Liam Acheson is an Early Career Researcher at NCCRED, focusing on clinical trials of pharmacotherapies for the treatment of substance-use disorders. His research interests include the intersection of sleep and substance use, sexual health, and qualitative investigation of client/participant experiences.

Harm-reduction strategies among people who use illicit stimulants: Naloxone and drug-checking in Australia

Australia’s illicit drug markets are increasingly complex and dynamic, underscoring the importance of effective harm-reduction strategies among people who use drugs. This presentation will examine engagement with key harm-reduction measures among people who regularly use ecstasy and other illicit stimulants in Australia – a relatively underexplored population – with a focus on naloxone and drug-checking.

Lily Palmer is a Research Officer with NDARC's Drugs Trends Program, where she coordinates the NSW Ecstasy and Related Drugs Reporting System and Illicit Drug Reporting System. She previously worked as the Perth-based Research Officer on the Tina Trial, a national clinical trial of mirtazapine for methamphetamine dependence.

Partnership as method: Co-developing an evaluation framework for peer engagement in the OLAM trial

NCCRED is leading the ‘OLAM Study’, a clinical trial investigating lisdexamfetamine as a treatment for methamphetamine withdrawal. The OLAM Study employs a number of peer-engagement activities, with the most formal being the Consumer Advisory Group. The aim of this project is to evaluate the impact of OLAM’s peer-engagement activities.

Cilla Zhou is the Research and Partnerships Manager at NCCRED, where she supports centre-wide research activities by strengthening consumer partnerships and collaborations.

Jess Doumany is the Director of Research at the Australian Injecting and Illicit Drug Users League (AIVL). Jess advocates for people who inject drugs through her lived experience and is passionate about translating community needs into effective supports. She is currently undertaking a PhD developing a peer-led model of wrap-around support for mums and bubs in Opioid Treatment Programs in NSW.

‘Wherever they’re at is wherever they’re at, right?’: Substance use and informal cultures of care among members of the queer community

This study looks at the informal ways LGBTQ+ individuals provide and receive support from other community members around drug use.

Dr Simon Clay is a Research Fellow at NDARC whose research focuses on the relationship between drug use, substance dependence treatment and wellbeing, with a particular focus on risk and embodiment. Simon's work extends into the sociology of health and how public health policy is developed and enacted.

Comprehensive community initiatives: Million-dollar mistakes or the next best thing?

To date, many millions of dollars have been invested into delivering comprehensive community initiatives (CCI) to prevent AOD use. However, systematic reviews have demonstrated mixed evidence for the effectiveness of such CCI. This presentation will draw from data collected from four systematic reviews in the impact of CCI on AOD use and two umbrella reviews relating to lessons learnt over the last three decades.

Dr Peter Gates is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at NDARC. He is currently leading the 'Communities' stream for the SUSTAIN group, which aims to support communities struggling with alcohol and other drug harm to implement and evaluate best-evidence primary prevention strategies.

Substance use in trans and gender diverse adults: A global systematic review and meta-analysis

Substance use among trans and gender diverse (trans) people is often described using broad measures of “any use”, limiting understanding of clinically meaningful patterns and potentially contributing to stigmatisation. This presentation reports findings from a global systematic review and meta-analysis of 120 studies, including 96,579 trans participants across 30 countries.

Dr Emily Symes is a Doctoral Candidate at NDARC, where her research examines mental health and substance use among trans and gender-diverse people. Her PhD is supported by a joint NDARC and ACON scholarship. Emily is also a staff specialist in Drug Health at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, providing care in Clinical Toxicology and Addiction Medicine, and a Specialist Emergency Physician at Canterbury Hospital.

Three decades of Drug Trends: Emerging patterns and future directions

This presentation highlights key trends identified through recent Drug Trends data, while marking 30 years of monitoring drug use in Australia. It considers how ongoing monitoring must adapt to new challenges, ensuring responses remain evidence-based, targeted and responsive to an increasingly dynamic drug landscape.

Associate Professor Amy Peacock is a Deputy Director and Drug Trends Program Lead at NDARC, as well as an NHMRC Emerging Leadership Fellow. Her research program is focused on identifying and quantifying alcohol and other drug-related harms and informing effective policy, prevention, treatment and harm-reduction responses.

Translating research into practice

Nicotine vaping products for supporting smoking cessation: Strengths and weaknesses of the Australian access model

Nicotine vaping products (NVPs) can support smoking cessation, but long-term health effects remain unclear, and their use has been controversial. Since October 2024, legal access to NVPs in Australia has been only via pharmacy either with a doctor’s prescription or pharmacist dispensed. This presentation will outline the background to this unique approach, as well as the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Professor Nick Zwar is a GP and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine at Bond University. He has led and contributed to several sets of Australian and international clinical practice guidelines and is Chair of the RACGP’s smoking cessation guidelines expert advisory group.

Mirtazapine for methamphetamine use disorder: Findings from the Tina Trial and implications for clinical practice

This presentation will discuss the mounting evidence for mirtazapine as a pharmacotherapy for methamphetamine use, including findings from the recently completed Tina Trial: a multi-site phase 3 trial of mirtazapine for methamphetamine use disorder conducted in Australia. It will also explore how mirtazapine fits within the broader evidence-base for methamphetamine pharmacotherapies, and implications for clinical practice.

Professor Rebecca McKetin leads a research program into stimulant use epidemiology and interventions at NDARC. She led the landmark Tina Trial, which investigated the use of mirtazapine for methamphetamine dependence in a randomised controlled trial, and recently initiated the OASIS project to establish a data linkage platform to monitor and respond to illicit drug harms in Australia.

Opioid dependence treatment and overdose prevention: A series of systematic reviews of the current evidence

This presentation presents evidence from eight evidence reviews that informed Guideline Development Group discussions for the WHO's first update of their opioid dependence guidance since 2009. These reviews represent the most comprehensive synthesis of this evidence to date, providing the foundational evidence base that shaped GDG deliberations on updating global opioid dependence guidance after a 15-year gap, with direct relevance for Australian clinical practice, service design and policy.

Dr Thomas Santo Jr is a Senior Lecturer at NDARC, focusing on the epidemiology and treatment of drug dependence in prison and community settings. His research aims to reduce health and social harm related to drug dependence, particularly in the criminal justice system, by supporting evidence-based policy and improving treatment access.

Scientia Professor Louisa Degenhardt is the Research Director at NDARC and NHMRC Senior Principal Research Fellow. Her work focuses on the health and social impacts of illicit drug use, including large cohort and data linkage studies on opioid dependence, mental health and incarceration. She has contributed to global burden of diseases estimates and international guidelines.