Good news! A small, but good study, using a “gold standard trial design and evaluation methodologies,” replicated the Italian study finding that Baclofen is effective in the treatment of alcohol addiction.  A previous post talks about French cardiologist Dr. Oliver Ameisen’s discovery while treating himself. He was desperate for help after trying every known remedy.

In one way it’s great that it is a familiar medication that has been used for years, so any side effects have had time to show up, and because it’s been around, it is now a cheap, generic medication, making it affordable.  The negative side to the situation is that because it’s already generic, “industry is not interested in funding research on (it). . , so support must come from the National Institutes of Health and from other foundations.”

Baclofen “is very safe to use in patients with liver disease because it is primarily metabolized through the kidneys, unlike alternative drugs for alcohol dependency that are metabolized in the liver and are contraindicated for patients with cirrhosis.”

For the complete article, go to Medscape Today.  You may have to register to read it, but registration is free.