Dr. Barbara Mason and Dr. James Dunford talked about the findings for this new drug and how it can benefit those in treatment. April is Alcohol Awareness Month DR. BARBARA MASON - SCRIPPS RESEARCH: Apremilast (Otezla®) is an approved drug that’s prescribed to treat psoriasis, an autoimmune skin condition Now, Scripps Research scientists have found that apremilast also significantly reduces alcohol intake in people with severe alcohol use disorder (in a new study, it cut their alcohol intake by more than half) https://www.jci.org/articles/view/159103 Apremilast was known to block a molecule that plays an important role in the immune system and also our brains—specifically the part of the brain involved in alcohol intake. This molecule is known as PDE4 Dr. Barbara Mason, lead author of the study, launched a Phase 2 clinical trial to study apremilast in humans The study showed that the people who took apremilast drank significantly less when compared to placebo, felt little impulse to drink, and the drug was also well tolerated With these really encouraging results, the next steps are to move into larger, broader clinical trials DR. JAMES DUNFORD - MCALISTER INSTITUTE: I see the consequences of alcohol use disorder (AUD) every day at McAlister Institute AUD affects 10% of the population, commonly wreaking havoc on people, families, friends and society Unfortunately, medical treatment for AUD has not advanced in the past 20 years There are 3 FDA-approved medications, but their effectiveness varies widely What is AUD? - Alcohol use disorder is a medical condition characterized by an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences. - 2023: 14.8M diagnosed with AUD (1 in 10 over age 12) 60% of all drinkers increased their intake during pandemic What are the signs someone has AUD? (Mild 2-3 criteria, Moderate 4-5, Severe 6) -There are 11 criteria that when summed rate the severity of AUD from 0-11, including: - Feeling a strong craving or urge to drink alcohol. - Failing to fulfill major obligations at work, school or home due to repeated alcohol use. - Continuing to drink alcohol even though you know it's causing physical, social, work or relationship problems What are some of the trends you see with people that have AUD at McAlister? - Many people with AUD have experienced traumatic events in their lives and often have family or friends with AUD - Lack of prescribing MAT for AUD by primary care providers: even individuals with multiple DUI’s and incarcerations for alcohol-related offenses - Successes - when medication, behavioral health counseling, group support, sober living in place How would these implemented findings benefit those in recovery and treatment? - New medications like apremilast that act to modulate the brain’s reward pathways offer the promise of lowering the rate of premature death due to alcohol-related causes (trauma, liver and heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, cognitive impairment), reduce relapse and provide way to curb binge drinking before it leads to alcohol dependence