Study Finds Medication Can Curb Alcoholism

CHARLESTON -- Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) were part of a multi-site clinical trial that demonstrated, for the first time, that topiramate is a new option for the treatment of alcoholism. Alcohol abuse and dependence affect 18-20 million Americans in their lifetime. Costs associated with the disease for American society include $185 billion annually in medical care, lost wages, destruction of property and loss of life. Alcohol abuse and dependence are also the cause of approximately half of all fatal car accidents each year.

Topiramate was previously approved by the Food and Drug Administration for seizures and migraine headaches and is manufactured by Ortho-McNeil Neurologics, Inc. The drug is not currently approved for the treatment of alcohol dependence.

The study, published in the Oct. 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) and announced today, found that topiramate helped heavy drinkers reduce their drinking and promoted abstinence.

Individuals were randomly selected to take topiramate or a placebo at 17 sites across the country for 14 weeks, including MUSC. All participants had a weekly 15-minute intervention with a health care professional (physician or nurse) to enhance adherence to the medication and treatment regimen.

The national study, funded by Ortho-McNeil Neurologics Inc., was led by University of Virginiaís Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences chairman Bankole Johnson, D.Sc., M.D., Ph.D.

Raymond Anton, M.D., MUSC Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Distinguished University Professor and Director of the MUSC Center for Drug and Alcohol Programs , served on the scientific advisory board of the study and was the lead investigator of the MUSC study-site.

"This is groundbreaking research. Not only do clinicians have another option for the treatment of this devastating problem, but patients not particularly motivated toward total abstinence were able to modify their drinking and/or attain abstinence over time while using topiramate, without receiving specialized addiction counseling," Anton said. "This should open up options for millions of individuals who currently want to reduce their drinking and improve their health and happiness."

The findings provide validation that individuals with alcohol dependence, even while drinking heavily, can be treated safely and reliably with topiramate without establishing abstinence first.

"Our finding in this national study was that topiramate is a safe and highly efficacious medicine that can be paired with a 15-minute brief intervention by health practitioners who are not addiction specialists," Johnson said. "Community practice settings in the United States and in many parts of the world, therefore, have the potential to use this combination treatment."

The study sheds new light on previous beliefs that detoxification or abstinence must be established prior to starting a medication that would treat alcohol dependence and indicates an important new option within the alcoholism treatment paradigm.

About MUSC

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 10,000 employees, including 1,300 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $1.3 billion. MUSC operates a 600-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children's Hospital and a leading Institute of Psychiatry. For more information on academic information or clinical services, visit www.musc.edu or www.muschealth.com.

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