Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences

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NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE TREATMENT OF ALCOHOL USE DISORDER

MARIA BONEA *, IOANA VALENTINA MICLUȚIA

“Iuliu Hațieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Department of Neuroscience, Psychiatry, 43 Victor Babeș Street, 400012, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

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Alcohol dependence is a chronic disorder with frequent relapses. Even the most motivated individuals have difficulties in maintaining abstinence, and require pharmacotherapy, apart from psychotherapy. Current anti-craving medications (acamprosate, naltrexone, nalmefene, disulfiram) have only limited efficacy. The present paper aims to review both the agents developed within the last 10 years (novel opioid and vasopressin antagonist, dopamine, cannabinoid, glucocorticoid and orexin receptors modulators) and the drugs already prescribed for other uses (anticonvulsants, muscle relaxants, antihypertensives, antiemetics, and even neuroimmune modulators and antiparasitic drugs), which were proven beneficial for controlling heavy drinking.