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Recent Advances in Drug Development

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Textbook of Addiction Treatment: International Perspectives

Abstract

Encouraging findings are being reported in the development of drugs for the treatment of addictive disorders. This chapter reviews drug development for the treatment of alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, opiates, and methamphetamine dependence. Gabapentin, pregabalin, ondansetron, and sertraline have been investigated for the management of alcohol dependence in double-blind, placebo-controlled designs. Gabapentin has been shown in two studies to reduce the emergence and percentage of heavy drinking days following alcohol detoxification treatment. Pregabalin was shown to reduce withdrawal symptomatology, craving, and relapse. Sertraline was reported to be efficacious in reducing drinking days and heavy drinking days in study participants with late-onset alcoholism. Ondansetron was shown to reduce drinks per drinking day and to increase the percentage of days abstinent in an alcohol-dependent population. Gabapentin has been shown to reduce cannabis use, withdrawal, and craving relative to a placebo group in one study. Nabilone has been shown to reduce marijuana withdrawal symptoms and self-administration in a clinical laboratory study, providing a rationale for an outpatient trial. A combination of mixed amphetamine salts and topiramate, compared to a placebo group, produced a greater percentage of cocaine-dependent participants achieving 3 weeks of continuous abstinence. Bupropion, methylphenidate, naltrexone, and topiramate have been evaluated for efficacy in facilitating abstinence in methamphetamine dependence. Bupropion has given the strongest signals of efficacy. Topiramate may have some utility as a relapse prevention agent but this needs to be confirmed.

Implantable and injectable forms of buprenorphine are being developed for the treatment of opioid dependence.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Friends Research Institute, Inc., Baltimore, MD, USA

    Frank J. Vocci

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  1. Frank J. Vocci
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Correspondence to Frank J. Vocci .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Alberta Gambling Research Institute University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

    Nady el-Guebaly

  2. Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, United Kingdom

    Giuseppe Carrà

  3. Division of Alcoholism & Drug Abuse, New York University School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA

    Marc Galanter

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Vocci, F.J. (2015). Recent Advances in Drug Development. In: el-Guebaly, N., Carrà, G., Galanter, M. (eds) Textbook of Addiction Treatment: International Perspectives. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-5322-9_32

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-5322-9_32

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