About

The group’s primary goal is to study the acute pharmacological effects and toxicity caused by substances of abuse in humans. This objective encompasses the evaluation of abuse potential and the consequences of chronic use in substance use disorders and addiction.

The members of the group are mostly physicians at Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, responsible for daily patient care.

Keywords: Substance abuse disorder, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, cathinones, cannabis, THC, CBD, binge drinkings, alcohol, gender differences.

Group leader

  • Magí Farré Albaladejo

    Magí Farré Albaladejo

    Magi Farré is professor of Pharmacology at the School of Medicine of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and head of the Clinical Pharmacology Unit at Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital in Badalona. He has developed his main research area in the field of human pharmacology of drugs of abuse and medications, being one of the few clinical researchers in this area. Farré has worked on the evaluation of pharmacokinetics and the acute and chronic effects of different drugs of abuse. He has extensive experience in pharmacogenetics with studies of the influence of genetic polymorphisms on the pharmacokinetics and effects of medications and drugs of abuse, highlighting the influence of polymorphisms of CYP2D6, CYP2C9, CYP3A4, CYP1A2, COMT, DAT, 5-HT1AR, ALDH5A1 or opioid or cannabinoid receptors. Most of the research projects in which he has been a PI/CI incorporate pharmacogenetic determinations. The most recent ones, which are currently underway, are on cannabis and synthetic cathinones.

    For more than ten years, Farré has participated in numerous projects on human pharmacology of new psychoactive substances, highlighting his work on MDMA (midomafetamine), 2C-B, 2C-E, mephedrone, methylone and other synthetic cathinones, synthetic and natural cannabinoids (cannabis with high THC content), GHB, binge drinking, alcohol combined with energy drinks, cannabis and the combination of cannabis and alcohol. He has participated in clinical trials for the treatment of substance use disorders, especially alcohol and cocaine, in addition to the use of ayahuasca for severe grief therapy. More recently, he has been part of research teams on emerging infectious diseases, participating in clinical trials of treatments for COVID-19, including vaccines, as well as MPOX epidemiology.

    For five years, he has been working mainly on the human pharmacology of different forms of administration of cannabis preparations (oral: tea and oil; inhaled: vaporizer, different preparation with variable contents of THC/CBD), synthetic cannabinoids (JWH-122, JWH-210, UR-144), synthetic cathinones ( mephedrone, methylone, MDPV, clephedrone [4-CMC], ethylhexedrone [Hexen] and ethylpentedrone [NEP], alpha-PVP, alpha-PHiP, clophedrone [3-CMC]), as well as the combination of alcohol and psychostimulants and consumption of alcohol in binge-drinking. All these clinical studies are conducted in humans and, when possible, include men and women.

    Contact: mfarre.germanstrias(ELIMINAR)@gencat.cat
    ORCID: 0000-0001-8338-7543

Research lines

  • Evaluation of the acute effects and pharmacokinetics of new psychoactive substances (synthetic cathinones such as methylone, pyrovalerone derivatives, and others), and classical psychostimulants (MDMA, amphetamines and cocaine) in humans. Including experimental and observational studies
  • Evaluation of the acute effects of binge alcohol consumption in young people and its combination with other substances (cannabis, energy drinks) in humans. Including experimental and observational studies
  • Evaluation of the effects and pharmacokinetics of natural and synthetic cannabinoids, including cannabis and its components (different compositions of THC/CBD) in humans. Therapeutic use (medicinal cannabis) in humans. Including experimental and observational studies
  • Pharmacogenomics and substance use, including drug of abuse and medicines. Influence of genetic polymorphism in the effects and pharmacokinetics of drugs. Gender differences

Active projects

Proyecto iPHARMGx: Estudio colaborativo nacional para evaluar la efectividad y eficiencia de la implementación de biomarcadores Farmacogenéticos mediante una estrategia de genotipado anticipado en el SNS

PI: Borovia A. HUGTiP-IGTP investigator: Magí Farré
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)
Agency code: PMP22/00055
Duration: 2023 - 2025

Farmacología humana de diferentes preparados de cannabis administrados por diferentes vías y la influencia del género

PI: Esther Papaseit; Co-PI: Magí Farré
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
Agency code: PI20/00879
Duration: 2021 - 2025

Plataformas ISCIII de apoyo a la I+D+I en Biomedicina y Ciencias de la Salud: Soporte para la investigación clínica

PI: Magí Farré
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)
Agency code: PT20/00018 
Duration: 2021 - 2024

Consumo de alcohol en atracón (binge drinking): perspectiva de género

PI: Magí Farré
Funding agency: Ministerio de Sanidad
Agency code: 2022I045
Duration: 2023 - 2024

Consumo de alcohol en atracón (binge drinking): perspectiva de género

PI: Magí Farré
Funding agency: Ministerio de Sanidad
Agency code: 2022I045
Duration: 2023 - 2024

Farmacología humana de la catinona sintética metilendioxipirovalerona (MDPV) y su interacción con alcohol

PI: Clara Pérez Mañá
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
Agency code: PI20/00879
Duration: 2021 - 2024

Proyecto iPHARMGx: Estudio colaborativo nacional para evaluar la efectividad y eficiencia de la implementación de biomarcadores Farmacogenéticos mediante una estrategia de genotipado anticipado en el SNS

PI: Borovia A; HUGTiP-IGTP investigator: Magí Farré
Funding agency: Proyectos de Investigación de Medicina Personalizada de Precisión de la Acción Estratégica en Salud 2021-2023
Agency code: PMP22/00055
Duration: 2023 - 2025

Past projects

Farmacología humana de la catinona sintética metilendioxipirovalerona (MDPV) y su interacción con alcohol

PI: Clara Pérez Mañá 
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación
Agency code: PI20/00879
Start date: 2021
End date: 2023

Scientific publications

Highlighted publications

Camí J, Farré M. Drug addiction. N Engl J Med. 2003 Sep 4;349(10):975-86. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMra023160.

Cami J, Farré M, Mas M, Roset PN, Poudevida S, Mas A, San L, de la Torre R. Human pharmacology of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine ("ecstasy"): psychomotor performance and subjective effects. J Clin Psychopharmacol. 2000 Aug;20(4):455-66. DOI: 10.1097/00004714-200008000-00010.

Mas M, Farré M, de la Torre R, Roset PN, Ortuño J, Segura J, Camí J. Cardiovascular and neuroendocrine effects and pharmacokinetics of 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine in humans. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1999 Jul;290(1):136-45. PMID: 10381769.

Papaseit E, Pérez-Mañá C, Mateus JA, Pujadas M, Fonseca F, Torrens M, Olesti E, de la Torre R, Farré M. Human Pharmacology of Mephedrone in Comparison with MDMA. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2016 Oct;41(11):2704-13. DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.75.

Papaseit E, Pérez-Mañá C, de Sousa Fernandes Perna EB, Olesti E, Mateus J, Kuypers KP, Theunissen EL, Fonseca F, Torrens M, Ramaekers JG, de la Torre R, Farré M. Mephedrone and Alcohol Interactions in Humans. Front Pharmacol. 2020 Jan 28;10:1588. DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2019.01588.

ALL PUBLICATIONS

Additional information

Collaborative networks

Redes de Investigación Cooperativa Orientadas a Resultados en Salud (RICORS). Red de Investigación en Atención Primaria de Adicciones (RIAPAd). 

PI: Robert Muga
Agency code: RD21/0009/0004

The Research Network in Primary Addiction Care (RIAPAd) is an organisational structure funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII). It is made up of different clinical, basic and epidemiological research groups, whose common objective is to investigate the origins of addictive processes, their clinical manifestations and their social impact with the ultimate goal of providing therapeutic and social intervention tools that help reduce the impact of addictions and associated pathologies. Contribution: study of psychostimulants and cannabis in humans.

More information

Doctoral theses

Title: Efectos agudos asociados al consumo de metilona
Author: Lourdes Poyatos Blanco
Supervisors: Magí Farré Albaladejo, Esther Papaseit Fontanet, Clara Pérez Mañá
Date of defense: 31-05-2023
Evaluation: Excellent Cum Laude

Others

Activity is based in different types of studies for the evaluation of the acute and chronic effects. The study design include clinical trials, observational studies and summary of evidence (systematic reviews and meta-analysis).

News

Medical and research staff at the Can Ruti Campus, once again among the world’s most prominent in the scientific field

The Can Ruti Campus and the healthcare and research teams of the different institutions that comprise it continue to prove, once again this year, to be a relevant node on a global scale in terms of scientific production and progress.

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Contact

(+34) 93 497 88 65 extn. 3710