Novel Pharmacotherapeutic Approaches in Treatment of Alcohol Addiction

In the past two decades, the search for novel pharmacotherapies to treat alcohol addiction has been a global endeavor. This has resulted in several drugs that have been approved and successfully marketed 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 metabolism and excretion. As more is being understood about the neurobiology of alcohol addiction as well as the unique pharmacological action of these drugs, new agents are evaluated for potential benefits when used as an adjunct in combination therapy. This review article summarizes the novel pharmacotherapeutic approaches used in the treatment of alcohol addiction by focusing on the drugs, which include neramexane, gabapentin, baclofen, aripiprazole, nalmafene, and quetiapine.