Ibudilast, an anti-inflammatory drug primarily used to treat asthma in Japan was discovered by researchers to help anyone to overcome alcoholism.UCLA researchers evaluated the anti-asthma drug as a treatment for alcoholism.
According to Science Daily, the clinical trial utilized participants that were given either Ibudilast or placebo for a six-day regimen. The dosing of the drug was 20 milligrams for two days and 50 milligrams thereafter.The participants were given a two-week break and the trial was carried out again in opposite approach; those who received the anti-asthma drug during the initial trial were given a placebo treatment and those who were given the placebo received the drug. From the clinical trial, the researchers found out that the participant's alcoholism has significantly lowered when they were taking the drug.
Also, the participants under Ibudilast revealed that they are in a better mood when allowed to smell the scent of alcohol. The study also includes the safety of the anti-asthma drug when taken by consumers suffering from alcoholism.
During the sixth day of the trial, the participants received an intravenous dose of alcohol equivalent to four drinks. This is to test if the anti-asthma drug is safe when administered to people under the influence of alcohol. Ibudilast was found safe and well-tolerated when used by people suffering from alcoholism, as stated by Lara Ray, the lead author of the study.
Meanwhile, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism provided the prevalence of mortality due to alcoholism. Approximately 62,000 men and 26,000 women die from alcohol-related consumption annually making alcoholism as one of the leading causes of death in the United States.
Ibudilast's effect in people suffering from stressful scenario was also evaluated. The treatment seemed to help those participants suffering from depression, which is common in the person suffering from alcoholism. The drug significantly alters and lowers the pleasurable effects of alcohol.
Ray plans to further study the drug's ability to lower brain inflammation. Chronic alcohol consumption includes inflammations in the brain of animals, past studies show that ibudilast was effective in reducing alcohol consumption in rats.The new study is promising but needs further evaluation. The researchers want to test the drug with persons suffering from alcoholism who really wanted to quit drinking alcohol.
