Johan Franck

Johan Franck

Professor/Senior Physician
Visiting address: Norra Stationsgatan 69, plan 7, 11364 Stockholm
Postal address: K8 Klinisk neurovetenskap, K8 CPF Franck, 171 77 Stockholm
Part of:

About me

  • - Director of Medical Research, Region Stockholm (since 2024)

    - Professor at KI since 2008, firstly of Clinical Alcohol and Drug Addiction Research (adjunct) and, as of 2010, of Psychiatry (full professor).
    - Clinical Director of the Stockholm Centre for Dependency Disorders, Stockholm County Health Care (SLSO), since 2011.
    - Vice chair, Dept of Clinical Neuroscience 2007-2011. Director, Stockholm Centre for Psychiatry Research 2007-2011
    - Member of the Karolinska Institutet Docentur Committee, 2003-2008 (vice chair 2006-2008).
    - Docent in 1999 (Physiology; Psychiatry)
    - Board Certified Specialist in Psychiatry (1998); Addiction medicine (2018)

    Commissions of trust
    - Swedish Research Council - Chair, Review Panel D2 (psychiatry; neurology) 2016, 2018-2019; Review Panel for Mental Health 2020
    - Swedish Research Council - Elected member of the Scientific Council for Medicine and Health 2010-2012
    - Swedish Society for Medical Research - Scientific Secretary and Board member 2001-2010 www.ssmf.se
    - Member of the Stockholm County Council Panel for Evaluation of Pharmaceutical Drugs 2010-2012 - Chair of Psychiatry sub-committe 2004-2012
    - European Medicines Agency (EMA); member of Scientific Advisory Group on Psychiatry 2011-2021 www.ema.europa.eu
    - Scientific advisor to the Swedish Prison and Probation Service 2005-2018, and the National Board for Institutional Care (SIS) 2011-2016
    - European College of Neuropsychopharmacology - member of Scientific Advisory Panel 2012-2017
    - Review commissions for the Royal College of Physicians (UK), the MRC (UK), the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Norwegian Research Council, Helse Sör-Öst (Norway), Helse Vest (Norway), ZI Mannheim (Germany), Independent Research Fund Denmark, University of Helsinki, University of Turku.

    - International Collaboration for ADHD and Substance Abuse (ICASA); chair 2025-

    Member of Editorial Boards
    - European Addiction Research
    - Addiction Biology (Reviewing Editor)

Research

  • The process leading up to addictive disorders is complex and several factors contribute to induce and maintain addictions to both drugs and natural rewards, including drug priming and exposure to drug related cues. Our research group aims at evaluating novel psychological and pharmacological treatments for alcohol and psychostimulant dependence, respectively. We also develop treatment for co-morbid ADHD and substance dependence. The research group includes various professions and competencies, and we collaborate with researchers in psychotherapy, epidemiology, genetics, and infectious diseases.

    Our research has focused on the effects of pharmaceutical drugs on drug-craving, drug-seeking behavior and relapse to illicit drug use, in patients with addictive disorders. By combining human experimental models and placebo controlled clinical trials in natural settings we strive to shorten the gap between discovery, medication safety trials and efficacy trials. We are increasingly using epidemiological methods and quality register data to evaluate the long-term outcome for patients with substance use disorders following different treatment interventions.

    We work mainly with three distinct clinical populations: patients with psychostimulant dependence, patients with alcohol dependence, and patients with a co-morbid diagnosis of ADHD and a concomitant substance use disorder. We collaborate with other researchers in areas such as opioid use disorder, alcohol consumption post liver transplant, novel ultrasound technology in alcoholic liver disease, and evaluation of novel drug testing in exhaled air.

Articles

All other publications

Grants

  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 January 2025 - 31 December 2027
    Research problem and specific questions: This project aims to prevent misuse of prescription opioid analgesics and improve interventions for people dependent on these prevalent and highly addictive narcotics, addressing knowledge gaps defined by SBU.Background: Misuse of opioid analgesics has led to widespread societal problems in the United States, including criminality, addiction, overdose, and death. In Sweden, prescription of strong opioids has significantly increased, especially in young people. Most opioids are prescribed in primary care. Many who become addicted recover, but treatment dropout is substantial, and mortality is high. Data are lacking on outcomes and prognostic factors needed to improve and personalize interventions.Data and method: This project connects the interventions needed to prevent and treat addiction: prevention in primary care, dosage tapering for those who develop addiction, and opioid maintenance for the most severely addicted.Study 1 is an RCT carried out at 52 primary health care centers to evaluate whether a new educational program with online feedback for GPs can reduce prescription of opioid analgesics by improving adherence to pain management guidelines in primary care.Study 2 is a prospective cohort study that follows over 400 people with prescription drug addiction to analyze outcomes and prognostic factors in tapering programs in specialized addiction care. The primary outcome is the proportion who become drug-free as measured by verified drug tests at 6, 12, and 24 months.Study 3 is a national cohort study that follows up outcomes and prognostic factors in &gt
    6000 people in opioid maintenance programs via a unique national quality register.Plan for project realization: All three studies have successfully reached key milestones, such as ethical permission, inclusion, implementation, and data collection in primary care and addiction care. Next steps include follow-up, data analysis, and scientific publication.Societal relevance: Study 1 has the potential to prevent addiction and increase adherence to treatment guidelines. The intervention is easy to disseminate. Study 2 evaluates current standard treatment for prescription drug addiction, which has not yet been done in Sweden. Study 3 will examine the long-term outcomes of opioid maintenance in a national cohort. Opioid maintenance programs have been politically controversial, and it is important to replace opinion with scientific evidence.
  • Parent’s alcohol use disorder, children’s mental health: a national cohort study
    Swedish Governmental Alcohol Retailing Monopoly
    1 January 2024 - 31 December 2025
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2022
    Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common co-morbidity in substance use disorders (SUD) that negatively impacts the course of the SUD. Opioid antagonists such as naltrexone (NTX) are useful in the treatment of opiate and alcohol dependence, and, as shown recently by our group, also for amphetamine dependence. Recommended pharmacotherapy for ADHD includes central stimulants but clinicians are reluctant to prescribe these due to lack of data on their efficacy and safety in ADHD/SUD. This study investigates if extended release (XR)NTX (380 mg) reduces drug use in individuals with SUD also concurrently receiving central stimulant pharmacotherapy for ADHD. Participants meet DSM-5 criteria for SUD and ADHD. Alcohol, stimulant and opioid use disorder will all be included to increase the ecological validity. Hypothesis: XR-NTX will increase the percentage of drug negative samples in urine (incl alcohol biomarker EtG), increase the retention in treatment and improve the clinical condition of patients. Design: double-blind, randomized, placebo controlled, 12 weeks treatment + 12 weeks follow-up with continuous supervised urine testing, females/males
    n=128 [see protocol for power calculation]. Twice weekly supervised urine test (24 weeks) and contingency management. Primary outcome: ITT analysis of the proportion of urine samples free of drugs and alcohol biomarker [THC analyzed separately]
    missing tests defined as positive. EudraCT 2016-004710-95
    Ethics 2020-00558.
  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 January 2021 - 31 December 2023
  • Prescription opioids – prevention and treatment of harmful use and dependence
    Region Stockholm
    1 January 2021 - 31 December 2023
  • Treatment of benzodiazepine dependency in primary care patients: a randomized controlled trial
    Region Stockholm
    1 January 2021 - 31 December 2023
  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 December 2019 - 30 November 2022
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2018 - 31 December 2021
  • A structured treatment program to reduce dependence on benzodiazepines, improve care, and support tapering – a randomized controlled trial in primary care and specialized addiction care
    Region Stockholm
    1 January 2018 - 1 January 2020
  • Prevention of benzodiazepine dependency: a primary health care intervention
    Public Health Agency of Sweden
    1 January 2018 - 31 December 2021
  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 January 2017 - 31 December 2019
  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 December 2013 - 30 November 2017
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2013 - 31 December 2015
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2013 - 31 December 2015
  • Network ANT: Alcohol and Drug Addiction Abuse: Swedish Network for Clinical Trials
    Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 January 2010 - 31 December 2012
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2010 - 31 December 2012
  • Ersättning för Johan Francks uppdrag som ledamot av ämnesrådet för medicin och hälsa 2010-2012.
    Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2010 - 31 December 2012
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2010 - 31 December 2012
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2009 - 31 December 2013

Employments

  • Professor/Senior Physician, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 2010-
  • Adjunct Professor, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 2008-2010

Degrees and Education

  • Docent, Karolinska Institutet, 1999

Supervision

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