Alcohol Use Disorder: Current and Emerging Therapies

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a medical condition characterized by problematic and unhealthy patterns of alcohol use ranging from frequent to heavy alcohol consumption. It is a well-recognized psychiatric syndrome that includes a broad spectrum of symptoms and behaviors associated with alcohol misuse. People with AUD don’t stop drinking alcohol despite emotional distress, social, occupational, or health problems. Pharmacological management of AUD depends on the patient’s condition to reduce the symptoms and improve the patient’s health. The US FDA approved three medications, namely naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram for the treatment of AUD. Apart from these medications, psychological therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and encouraging patient participation in support groups have been showing promising results. The present review briefly discusses the epidemiology, symptoms, stages, diagnosis, screening, and emerging psychosocial therapies and pharmacotherapy of AUD including approved and off-label uses of drugs and newer agents. Keywords: Alcohol use disorder, Acamprosate, Baclofen, Disulfiram, Gabapentin, Naltrexone, Nalmefene