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Durant CF, Paterson LM, Turton S, Wilson SJ, Myers JFM, Muthukumaraswamy S, Venkataraman A, Mick I, Paterson S, Jones T, Nahar LK, Cordero RE, Nutt DJ, Lingford-Hughes A. Using Baclofen to Explore GABA-B Receptor Function in Alcohol Dependence: Insights From Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Measures. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:664. [PMID: 30618857 PMCID: PMC6302106 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The role of GABA-B neurotransmission in addiction has recently received increased attention, with clinical trials indicating that baclofen, a GABA-B receptor agonist, may reduce alcohol consumption, craving and promote abstinence. However, the optimal dose to treat alcohol dependence is unclear with patients requesting and tolerating much higher doses of baclofen, compared with other clinical uses. We assessed the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (PK/PD) of baclofen to provide insight into GABA-B sensitivity in this patient group, relative to controls. Methods: Male healthy volunteers (controls, n = 12) and abstinent alcohol dependent individuals (AD, n = 8) received single oral doses of baclofen or placebo in a 3-way crossover design. Controls received placebo/10 mg/60 mg baclofen in a randomized, double-blind design, AD received placebo/60 mg/90 mg baclofen in a single-blind design. PK/PD measures were recorded at baseline and multiple time-points up to 6 h post-dosing, including plasma baclofen, plasma growth hormone (GH), Subjective High Assessment Scale (SHAS) and biphasic alcohol effects scale (BAES). Repeated measures ANOVA analysis explored "change from baseline" dose, time, group, and interaction effects, t-tests compared peak effects. Results: Dose-dependent effects of baclofen on PK and PD measures were observed in both control and AD groups. Whilst there were no significant group differences in any baclofen PK parameters (t 1/2, t max , C max , AUC), marked differences in PD effects were clearly evident. In controls, 60 mg baclofen significantly increased total SHAS and BAES scores, and significantly increased plasma GH levels compared with placebo, with peak effects at 60-120 min, in line with its PK profile. In AD, 60 mg baclofen had limited effects on these parameters; SHAS scores, BAES scores and plasma GH levels were significantly blunted compared with controls (significant group*time interactions P = 0.0014, 0.0015 and P < 0.0001, respectively). Conclusions: Our study shows blunted sensitivity to baclofen in AD relative to controls, with no difference in PK suggesting a lower GABA-B receptor sensitivity. This may explain why higher baclofen doses are requested and tolerated in the treatment of alcohol dependence. Our data has implications for choice of dose in future clinical trials in AD and possibly other substances of dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire F Durant
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Centre for Psychiatry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Louise M Paterson
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Centre for Psychiatry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sam Turton
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Centre for Psychiatry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Susan J Wilson
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Centre for Psychiatry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - James F M Myers
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Centre for Psychiatry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Ashwin Venkataraman
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Centre for Psychiatry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Inge Mick
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Centre for Psychiatry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Susan Paterson
- Centre for Brain Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Tessa Jones
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Centre for Psychiatry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Limon K Nahar
- Centre for Brain Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Rosa E Cordero
- Centre for Brain Science, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - David J Nutt
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Centre for Psychiatry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Anne Lingford-Hughes
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Division of Brain Sciences, Department of Medicine, Centre for Psychiatry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
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3
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de Beaurepaire R, Sinclair JMA, Heydtmann M, Addolorato G, Aubin HJ, Beraha EM, Caputo F, Chick JD, de La Selle P, Franchitto N, Garbutt JC, Haber PS, Jaury P, Lingford-Hughes AR, Morley KC, Müller CA, Owens L, Pastor A, Paterson LM, Pélissier F, Rolland B, Stafford A, Thompson A, van den Brink W, Leggio L, Agabio R. The Use of Baclofen as a Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder: A Clinical Practice Perspective. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:708. [PMID: 30662411 PMCID: PMC6328471 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/03/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a brain disorder associated with high rates of mortality and morbidity worldwide. Baclofen, a selective gamma-aminobutyric acid-B (GABA-B) receptor agonist, has emerged as a promising drug for AUD. The use of this drug remains controversial, in part due to uncertainty regarding dosing and efficacy, alongside concerns about safety. To date there have been 15 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the use of baclofen in AUD; three using doses over 100 mg/day. Two additional RCTs have been completed but have not yet been published. Most trials used fixed dosing of 30-80 mg/day. The other approach involved titration until the desired clinical effect was achieved, or unwanted effects emerged. The maintenance dose varies widely from 30 to more than 300 mg/day. Baclofen may be particularly advantageous in those with liver disease, due to its limited hepatic metabolism and safe profile in this population. Patients should be informed that the use of baclofen for AUD is as an "off-label" prescription, that no optimal fixed dose has been established, and that existing clinical evidence on efficacy is inconsistent. Baclofen therapy requires careful medical monitoring due to safety considerations, particularly at higher doses and in those with comorbid physical and/or psychiatric conditions. Baclofen is mostly used in some European countries and Australia, and in particular, for patients who have not benefitted from the currently used and approved medications for AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julia M A Sinclair
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Mathis Heydtmann
- Department of Gastroenterology, Royal Alexandra Hospital Paisley, Paisley, United Kingdom
| | - Giovanni Addolorato
- AUD and Alcohol Related Diseases Unit, Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A Gemelli Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Rome, Italy.,Department of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Henri-Jean Aubin
- Faculté de Médecine, Centre de Recherche en Epidémiologie et Santé des Populations, Université Paris-Sud, Paris, France.,Faculté de Médecine, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Paris, France.,Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Université Paris-Saclay, Paris, France.,Hôpitaux Universitaires Paris-Sud, Paris, France
| | - Esther M Beraha
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Fabio Caputo
- Department of Internal Medicine, SS. Annunziata Hospital, Cento, Italy
| | - Jonathan D Chick
- Castle Craig Hospital, Blyth Bridge, United Kingdom.,School of Health and Social Care, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | | | - Nicolas Franchitto
- Department of Addiction Medicine, Poisons and Substance Abuse Treatment Centre, Toulouse-Purpan University Hospital, Toulouse, France
| | - James C Garbutt
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Paul S Haber
- National Health Medical Research Council, Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use, Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Drug Health Services, Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
| | - Philippe Jaury
- Département de Médecine Générale, Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France
| | - Anne R Lingford-Hughes
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Division of Brain Sciences, Centre for Psychiatry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kirsten C Morley
- Discipline of Addiction Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Christian A Müller
- Department of Psychiatry, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lynn Owens
- Wolfson Centre for Personalised Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Adam Pastor
- Department Addiction Medicine, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Louise M Paterson
- Neuropsychopharmacology Unit, Division of Brain Sciences, Centre for Psychiatry, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Fanny Pélissier
- Poison Control Center, Toulouse-Purpan University Hospital, Toulouse, France
| | - Benjamin Rolland
- Service Universitaire d'Addictologie de Lyon, Lyon, France.,University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | | | - Andrew Thompson
- Wolfson Centre for Personalised Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Wim van den Brink
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam University, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Lorenzo Leggio
- Section on Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology, Division of Intramural Clinical and Basic Research, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States.,Medication Development Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD, United States.,Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Roberta Agabio
- Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
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6
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Kalk NJ, Lingford-Hughes AR. The clinical pharmacology of acamprosate. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2014; 77:315-23. [PMID: 23278595 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.12070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2012] [Accepted: 11/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Acamprosate is one of the few medications licensed for prevention of relapse in alcohol dependence, and over time it has proved to be significantly, if moderately, effective, safe and tolerable. Its use is now being extended into other addictions and neurodevelopmental disorders. The mechanism of action of acamprosate has been less clear, but in the decade or more that has elapsed since its licensing, a body of translational evidence has accumulated, in which preclinical findings are replicated in clinical populations. Acamprosate modulates N-methyl-d-aspartic acid receptor transmission and may have indirect effects on γ-aminobutyric acid type A receptor transmission. It is known to decrease brain glutamate and increase β-endorphins in rodents and man. Acamprosate diminishes reinstatement in ethanolized rodents and promotes abstinence in humans. Although acamprosate has been called an anticraving drug, its subjective effects are subtle and relate to diminished arousal, anxiety and insomnia, which parallel preclinical findings of decreased withdrawal symptoms in animals treated with acamprosate. Further understanding of the pharmacology of acamprosate will allow appropriate targeting of therapy in individuals with alcohol dependence and extension of its use to other addictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola J Kalk
- Centre for Neuropsychopharmacology, Imperial College London, London, W12 0NN, UK
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Janero DR. Medications development for substance-use disorders: contextual influences (dis)incentivizing pharmaceutical-industry positioning. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2014; 9:1265-79. [PMID: 25162124 DOI: 10.1517/17460441.2014.951631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The significant contribution of substance-use disorders (SUDs) to the global-disease burden and associated unmet medical needs has not engendered a commensurate level of pharma-industry research and development (R&D) for novel SUD therapeutics invention. Analysis of contextual factors shaping this position suggests potential routes toward incentivizing R&D commitment for that purpose. AREAS COVERED This article considers multiple primary factors that have consorted to disincentivize pharma industry's operating in the SUD space: ill-understood pathology; variegated treatments and patient profiles; involved clinical trials; and - with particular reference to SUDs-negative cultural/business stigmas and shallow commercial precedent. Industry incentivization for SUD drug innovation requires progress on several fronts, including: translational experimental data and systems; personalized, holistic SUD treatment approaches; interactions among pharma, nonindustry constituencies, and the medical profession with vested interests in countering negative stereotypes and expanding SUD treatment options; and public-private alliances focused on improving SUD pharmacotherapy. EXPERT OPINION Given the well-entrenched business stance whereby the prospect of future profits in major markets largely determines drug-company R&D investment trajectory, strategic initiatives offering substantial reductions in the risks and opportunity (i.e., time and money) costs associated with SUD drug discovery are likely to be the most potent drivers for encouraging mainstream industry positioning in this therapeutic area. Such initiatives could originate from front-loaded R&D operational and back-loaded patent, regulatory, marketing and health-care policy reforms. These may be too involved and protracted for the turbulent pharmaceutical industry to entertain amid its recent retrenchment from psychiatric/CNS diseases and intense pressures to increase productivity and shareholder value.
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Affiliation(s)
- David R Janero
- Northeastern University, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Center for Drug Discovery, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Health Sciences Entrepreneurs , 360 Huntington Avenue, 116 Mugar Life Sciences Hall, Boston, MA 02115-5000 , USA +1 617 373 2208 ; +1 617 373 7493 ;
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9
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Lingford-Hughes AR, Welch S, Peters L, Nutt DJ. BAP updated guidelines: evidence-based guidelines for the pharmacological management of substance abuse, harmful use, addiction and comorbidity: recommendations from BAP. J Psychopharmacol 2012; 26:899-952. [PMID: 22628390 DOI: 10.1177/0269881112444324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 154] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The British Association for Psychopharmacology guidelines for the treatment of substance abuse, harmful use, addiction and comorbidity with psychiatric disorders primarily focus on their pharmacological management. They are based explicitly on the available evidence and presented as recommendations to aid clinical decision making for practitioners alongside a detailed review of the evidence. A consensus meeting, involving experts in the treatment of these disorders, reviewed key areas and considered the strength of the evidence and clinical implications. The guidelines were drawn up after feedback from participants. The guidelines primarily cover the pharmacological management of withdrawal, short- and long-term substitution, maintenance of abstinence and prevention of complications, where appropriate, for substance abuse or harmful use or addiction as well management in pregnancy, comorbidity with psychiatric disorders and in younger and older people.
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