What new pharmacologic treatments for alcoholism are being developed and tested?
The opioid-blocking drug naltrexone has had promising results in preliminary human clinical trials as an adjunct therapy in the treatment of alcoholism (18). Researchers are using animal studies in conjunction with human clinical trials to determine naltrexone’s mechanism of action as well as its effectiveness. They have concluded that alcohol consumption may be related to the naturally occurring opioid system in the brain (19). Naltrexone has been administered to rhesus monkeys who voluntarily consume alcohol. The monkeys decrease their alcohol intake when naltrexone is administered before drinking occurs (20). Animal Models in Alcohol Research–A Commentary by NIAAA Director Enoch Gordis, M.D. Clearly, human use of animals in research derives from the premise that our first priority must be the relief of human suffering. Without research on animals, progress in understanding the process of alcoholism itself or of damage to body systems caused by alcohol use would come to a halt and t
