Gabapentin for the treatment of alcohol use disorder

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Alcohol misuse is the fifth leading risk factor for premature death and disability worldwide. Fewer than 10% of afflicted Americans receive pharmacological treatment for alcohol use disorder. Gabapentin is a calcium channel GABAergic modulator that is widely used for pain. Studies showing reduced drinking and decreased craving and alcohol-related disturbances in sleep and affect in the months following alcohol cessation suggest therapeutic potential for alcohol use disorder.

Areas covered: Human laboratory and clinical studies assessing gabapentin for alcohol use disorder are reviewed. Data were obtained by searching for English peer-reviewed articles on PubMed, reference lists of identified articles, and trials registered on clinicaltrials.gov. Additionally, the mechanism of action of gabapentin specific to alcohol use disorder, and studies of gabapentin for alcohol withdrawal and non-alcohol substance use disorders are summarized.

Expert opinion: Alcohol use disorder represents a challenge and large, unmet medical need. Evidence from single-site studies lend support to the safety and efficacy of gabapentin as a novel treatment for alcohol use disorder, with unique benefits for alcohol-related insomnia and negative affect, relative to available treatments. Proprietary gabapentin delivery systems may open a path to pivotal trials and registration of gabapentin as a novel treatment for alcohol use disorder.

KEYWORDS:

• Alcoholism
• alcohol use disorder
• calcium channel/GABA modulator
• clinical trial
• craving
• gabapentin
• human laboratory study
• insomnia
• negative affect
• pregabalin
• protracted withdrawal

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Sam Reed from The Scripps Research Institute for his assistance in manuscript preparation.

Declaration of Interest

B. Mason has served as a scientific consultant to DepoMed. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

Box 1. Drug Summary.

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Additional information

Funding

Support for this work was provided by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism [grant #s R01AA023152, U01AA025476, and P60AA006420.