FDA-Approved Beta-Blocker Could Treat Alcohol Addiction

A recent study has shown that pindolol, a medication used to treat high blood pressure, angina, and hypertension, could reduce alcohol consumption.

The study was conducted by researchers at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and published in Addiction Biology. Researchers found that “pindolol diminishes ethanol intake in mice, a behavior that mirrors binge drinking in human beings,” and that the drug weakened binge alcohol intake in mice over the long-term (Lavitt, 2016).

Acamprosate, naltrexone, and disulfiram are the drugs currently used to treat alcohol use disorders, but they “have limited success,” stated neuroscientist Selena Bartlett from QUT. That pindolol showed success in curbing binge drinking over the long-term is extremely significant.

According to researcher Omar Patkar, “More research is required but we believe the results from our study show that pindolol represents a novel, safe, and ready to test treatment therapy option for managing alcohol dependence in humans” (Lavitt, 2016).

References

Lavitt, J. (2016). Could a blood pressure drug treat alcohol addiction? Retrieved from https://www.thefix.com/could-blood-pressure-drug-treat-alcohol-addiction