Efficacy and safety of acamprosate in the treatment of detoxified alcohol-dependent patients

BACKGROUND: Acamprosate is a newly registered drug that appears to reduce alcohol-drinking in both animal models and clinical conditions. METHOD: In order to assess the efficacy and safety of the drug in the treatment of detoxified alcoholics, we performed a 90-day double-blind trial comparing two dosages of acamprosate (1332 mg/day and 1998 mg/day). RESULTS: For all efficacy parameters, acamprosate appeared to be significantly superior to placebo, with a trend towards a better effect at the higher dosage. Furthermore, acamprosate appeared to be extremely safe. CONCLUSION: This study confirms that acamprosate could be an interesting adjuvant for maintaining abstinence in detoxified alcoholics.