ALCOHOLISM BE TREATED?

Arnst, Catherine (2005) Can alcoholism be treated? BUSINESS WEEK, 4/11, P. 96-97.

A researcher has discovered an off label use of Baclofen that cuts the cravings fro alcohol.

It is a drug for muscle spasm, but does not provide the “high’ associated with many pain meds. Big pharma is interested because; they have discovered an incredible demand for drugs of this kind. There are now 2 meds for alcoholism that are partially helpful. They are Campral and Vivitrex.

Further in the same issue of BUSINESS WEEK, Arlene Weintraub indicates in her “Drawing a bead on side effects” p.42-43, that the pharmaceutical industry is looking at other drugs that worked but had bad side effects. Perhaps from these drugs when reformulated to improve health benefits and reduce toxicity that other drugs could be helpful in this area.

Not only is this helpful to humans, but much of the R&D has been done.