There is considerable interest in using OXT-like molecules and OXTR modulators as therapeutics. A number of non-peptide OXTR agonists are in development or in clinical trials and offer potential benefits in both research and therapeutic settings (Frantz et al., 2018, Manning et al., 2008, Wiśniewski, 2019). The oxytocin analogue carbetocin is currently the most widely used OXTR agonist drug in the clinical setting. Carbetocin is utilized to control postpartum hemorrhage and it is noted for its extended half-life as compared to OXT (Jin et al., 2019). In preclinical addiction research, carbetocin has been shown to effectively attenuate the reinstatement of drug seeking (Georgiou et al., 2015, Zanos et al., 2014). Carbetocin also has been shown to reduce alcohol reward (Bahi, 2015, Rae et al., 2018). Other signaling molecules may act as modulators of OXTR and can potentially be utilized to therapeutic advantage. For example, it has been shown that cholesterol and divalent cations such as Mn2+ and Mg2+ are positive allosteric modulators (PAM) of the OXTR that act by stabilizing the receptor in a high-affinity state (reviewed in Gimpl et
