Journal
CURRENT OPINION IN PSYCHIATRY
Volume 32, Issue 4, Pages 255-265Publisher
LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS
DOI: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000519
Keywords
addiction; alcohol use disorder; medication; pharmacotherapy
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Funding
- NIH - NIAAA Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research and NIDA Intramural Research Program [ZIA-AA000218]
- NIH Center on Compulsive Behaviors - NIH Deputy Director for Intramural Research Innovation Award
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Purpose of review The aim of this study was to provide an update on medication development efforts for alcohol use disorder (AUD) by reviewing recently published (past 2 years) human studies that evaluated medications' effects on alcohol-related outcomes. Recent findings Forty-five publications were found suitable for this review. A variety of compounds have been tested in the past 2 years as potential pharmacological options for AUD, including medications that act on multiple targets (topiramate, aripiprazole, quetiapine), calcium channels (gabapentin), gamma-Aminobutyric acid receptors (baclofen, diazepam), glutamate receptors (ifenprodil, memantine, glycine), nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (varenicline, mecamylamine), alpha 1 adrenergic receptors (prazosin, doxazosin), neuroendocrine pathways (oxytocin, a vasopressin receptor 1b antagonist, a ghrelin receptor inverse agonist) and others (samidorphan, ibudilast, N-acetylcysteine, citoline). Important findings and limitations regarding the effects of these medications on alcohol-related outcomes are discussed. Summary There is a critical need to increase the armamentarium of medications for AUD. Human laboratory studies may help screen and prioritize promising targets and compounds before running large clinical trials. Given the complexity of AUD and the heterogeneity of afflicted patients, future studies should also investigate potential moderators and predictors of response to each pharmacological intervention.
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