Drug Research Excerpts:


202. A combination of naltrexone and acamprosate might work better than
either one alone in reducing craving in alcohol dependent patients
undergoing treatment. Naltrexone was approved for this purpose in 1994,
whereas acamprosate (a drug available in Europe) is undergoing clinical
trials in the U.S. These drugs work on different neurochemical systems
in the brain, so that their beneficial effects might be additive whereas
their side effects might not be additive. More studies are needed.
(November 10, 2003)


178. An anti-seizure drug, topiramate, has recently been shown to
promote abstinence in alcohol-dependent individuals. The apparent
mechanism is an action in reducing dopamine release in the medial
forebrain bundle through a direct action on glutamate function. More
studies are needed to confirm the true clinical value of this drug and
its exact mechanism of action. (May 26, 2003)


134. What is ondansetron? Ondansetron (Zofran) is a drug that is used
for the treatment of nausea and vomiting. It has also been shown, in
several studies, to reduce the "craving" in alcohol-dependent patients
who have a more severe, genetically-driven form of the disease. If
future research continues to confirm such results, the drug may be
approved for the treatment of alcohol dependence, joining other drugs
such as naltrexone as an aid to helping people who are trying to stop
drinking. (July 22, 2002)


70. One of the drugs that is being studied as a possible relapse
prevention medication for treating alcohol dependence is acamprosate.
This drug is being used in Europe to reduce craving and relapse in
alcoholics, and it is currently in clinical trials in the U.S. This drug
might work through the NMDA or glutamate systems in the brain to reduce
craving and relapse in people who have undergone treatment for
alcoholism and who wish to remain abstinent. Further studies will
examine its earlier claims of effectiveness and low toxicity. (April 30,
2001)


25. Two drugs are available to help alcoholics sustain
behaviorally-produced abstinence. Naltrexone (available in 35 countries)
was approved by the American FDA in 1994 to help alcoholics who want to
stop drinking but have trouble with relapse ("slips", inability to stop
completely). It seems to work somehow on the endorphin system of the
brain. Acamprosate is available in 37 countries and is in clinical
studies in the United States. It helps alcoholics sustain abstinence,
perhaps through an effect on the glutamate system of the brain. Both
drugs are a significant improvement over Antabuse, a 50-year-old drug
that works on the liver. (June 19, 2000)

http://www.utexas.edu/research/asrec/alcoholfacts.html