Common Antidepressant Shows Promise in Reducing Methamphetamine Use

A new Australian study finds mirtazapine can help people cut back on meth, providing a potential treatment option where none currently exist.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 6:24am by Ben Kaplan

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Methamphetamine, or 'meth', is a highly addictive stimulant drug that poses serious health risks, yet there are no approved medications to treat meth dependence worldwide. A new Australian clinical trial has found the common antidepressant mirtazapine can help people reduce their meth use, even without treating underlying depression. While the benefits were modest, this represents an important first step in providing a medication-based treatment option for this widespread issue.

Why it matters

Meth dependence is a major public health concern, with an estimated 7.4 million people dependent on the drug globally. However, treatment options remain limited, often involving counseling or residential rehabilitation programs that have high dropout rates and relapse. The discovery that mirtazapine, a widely available and inexpensive antidepressant, can help reduce meth use provides hope for a new approach to tackling this crisis.

The details

The Tina Trial recruited 339 people dependent on meth from six Australian clinics. Half were randomly assigned to take mirtazapine (30mg daily) for 12 weeks, while the other half received a placebo. Those who took mirtazapine reduced their meth use by an average of 7 days out of 28, compared to 4.8 days for the placebo group. This modest but meaningful benefit was seen regardless of whether participants had depression. Mirtazapine was found to be safe, with common side effects including drowsiness and weight gain.

  • The Tina Trial was conducted over a 12-week period in 2025.
  • Mirtazapine has been used to treat depression for years, but this is the first major study examining its potential to reduce meth use.

The players

Rebecca McKetin

An Associate Professor at the National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney, and a lead researcher on the Tina Trial.

Shalini Arunogiri

An Addiction Psychiatrist and Associate Professor at Monash University, who was also involved in the Tina Trial.

Tina Trial

A clinical trial conducted in Australia that examined the use of the antidepressant mirtazapine to treat methamphetamine dependence.

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What they’re saying

“Mirtazapine is not an instant "cure" for meth dependence. But in the absence of any approved medications for methamphetamine use worldwide, it is a critical first step in providing a medications to reduce harms from methamphetamine.”

— Rebecca McKetin, Associate Professor, National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW Sydney

“Our research team believes mirtazapine has a direct effect on meth dependence, distinct from its ability to reduce depression.”

— Shalini Arunogiri, Addiction Psychiatrist, Associate Professor, Monash University

What’s next

For mirtazapine to be routinely prescribed for meth dependence, regulators would need to approve it for this purpose, which requires further research evidence like that provided by the Tina Trial. In the meantime, doctors can prescribe mirtazapine off-label for meth dependence, following guidelines on off-label prescribing.

The takeaway

While mirtazapine's benefits in reducing meth use were modest, this represents an important first step in providing a much-needed medication-based treatment option for the global methamphetamine crisis, where few other options currently exist.