Posted on 02/21/2023 9:22:04 PM PST by ConservativeMind
Researchers have identified a pill used to treat a common skin disease as an "incredibly promising" treatment for alcohol use disorder.
On average, the people who received the medication, called apremilast, reduced their alcohol intake by more than half—from five drinks per day to two.
"I've never seen anything like that before," said Angela Ozburn.
Ozburn and collaborators searched a genetic database looking for compounds likely to counteract the expression of genes known to be linked to heavy alcohol use. Apremilast, an FDA-approved anti-inflammatory medication used to treat psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, appeared to be a promising candidate.
The researchers found that apremilast triggered an increase in activity in the nucleus accumbens, the region of the brain involved in controlling alcohol intake.
Researchers then tested apremilast in people.
The Scripps team conducted a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical proof-of-concept study.
"Apremilast's large effect size on reducing drinking, combined with its good tolerability in our participants, suggests it is an excellent candidate for further evaluation as a novel treatment for people with alcohol use disorder," said Barbara Mason, Ph.D.
The clinical study involved people with alcohol use disorder who weren't seeking any form of treatment, and Mason predicts that apremilast may be even more effective among people who are motivated to reduce their alcohol consumption.
Ozburn said: "We saw that apremilast worked in mice. It worked in different labs, and it worked in people. This is incredibly promising for treatment of addiction in general."
Currently, there are three medications approved for alcohol use disorder in the United States: Antabuse, which produces an acute sensitivity akin to a hangover when alcohol is consumed; acamprosate, a medication thought to stabilize chemical signaling in the brain that is associated with relapse; and naltrexone, a medication that blocks the euphoric effects of both alcohol and opioids.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
“Alcohol use disorder.”
What orwellian, woketard bullshiite.
Lol. I take LDN, but nothing to do with opioids or alcohol.
Hey, if it works for you...then do it. IMHO...people dont have alcohol problems...they have “inner relationship” problems. Get right inside first (not easy btw) and the world will be easier to deal with.
I’ll stick with the bad skin.
I like to drink but 5 drinks per day? That probably causes a skin rash. 😉
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