Novel Pharmacotherapeutic Approaches in Treatment of Alcohol Addiction

摘要

In the past two decades, the search for novel pharmacotherapies to treat alcohol addictionhas been a global endeavor. This has resulted in several drugs that have been approved and successfullymarketed for public use while some are still in the testing phase. These pharmacological agents,though effective for the treatment of alcoholism, are not without shortcomings; such as abuse potential,serious mental and physical adverse effects, interaction with alcohol and also poor metabolismand excretion. As more is being understood about the neurobiology of alcohol addiction as well as theunique pharmacological action of these drugs, new agents are evaluated for potential benefits whenused as an adjunct in combination therapy. This review article summarizes the novel pharmacotherapeuticapproaches used in the treatment of alcohol addiction by focusing on the drugs, which includeneramexane, gabapentin, baclofen, aripiprazole, nalmafene, and quetiapine.