Alcohol, addiction

Assignee Garbil Pharma Investigacion Chile Ltda. (Santago de Chile, CL) Utility Treatment of Alcohol Addiction 

Invention Significance Current clinical methods for treating alcohol 

A 5-1 reactor was charged with 1,4-cyclohexanediamine (531.5 g), then warmed to 80°C, and treated with 675 ml acrylonitrile. The mixture was warmed 1 hour at 80°C and then 2 hours at 100°C. Thereafter, 960 ml ethyl alcohol was added and the mixture was cooled to ambient temperature and a solid was isolated. After washing with ethyl alcohol and drying, the product was isolated in 92.8% yield. 

The entire Step 1 product was dissolved in 21.21 methyl alcohol saturated with ammonia, then treated with Raney nickel catalyst (200 g), and hydrogenated at 50°C for 40 hours under 4 bar hydrogen. The catalyst was then removed by filtration, the mixture concentrated, and the product isolated in 93.7% yield as green oil. 

Preparation of A, A -bis(3-aminopropyl)cyclohexane-l,4-diamine tetramethane-sulfonate monohydrate 

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Mark TL, Kranzler H R, Song X, et al Physicians opinions about medications to treat alcoholism. Addiction 98 617—626, 2003... 

Cornelius JR, Salloum IM, EhlerJG, et al Fluoxetine in depressed alcoholics a doubleblind, placebo-controlled trial. Arch Gen Psychiatry 54 700—705, 1997 Cornelius JR, Salloum IM, Haskett RF, et al Fluoxetine versus placebo for the marijuana use of depressed alcoholics. Addict Behav 24 111—114, 1999 Cui S-S, Bowen RC, Gu G-B, et al Prevention of cannabinoid withdrawal syndrome by lithium involvement of oxytocinergic neuronal activation. J Neurosci 21 9867— 9876, 2001... 

Pandey, S.C. The gene transcription factor cyclic AMP-responsive element binding protein role in positive and negative affective states of alcohol addiction. Pharmacol. Ther. 104 47, 2004. 

Weiss, F. and Porrino L. J. Behavioral neurobiology of alcohol addiction recent advances and challenges. /. Neurosci. 22 3332-3337, 2002. 

Miller NS, Gold MS (1998) Comorbid cigarette and alcohol addiction epidemiology and treatment, J Addict Dis 17(l) 55-66... 

Phenobarbitone is used to treat epilepsy, migraine headache, dental infections, pregnancy vomiting, tetanus, enuresis, chorea, pre and post operative sedation, hypertension, anxiety states, neurosis, and in the treatment of drug and alcohol addiction. This drug is also called phenobarbital. 

In addition, the alcohol addicts are liable to other neuropsychiatric syndrome (Korsakoff s psychosis) which is associated with hallucination, suicidal tendencies and encephalopathy. They may also suffer from hyperlipidemia, hyperuricemia, pancreatitis and hepatitis. 

There are not currently any medications that have been approved for treatment of MDMA addiction. In actuality, very few drugs of abuse have possible medical (pharmaceutical) treatments. Heroin addiction is one disease that is treatable by pharmaceutical means. Heroin addiction is often treated with methadone or levo-alpha-acetyl methadol (LAAM) administration. Similarly, alcohol addiction may be treated with pharmacological tools. However, most stimulants, such as cocaine, amphetamine, and MDMA, do not have medications available for treatment of addiction. 

As in the treatment of all chronic drug abuse problems, heavy reliance is placed on psychosocial approaches to alcohol addiction. This is perhaps even more important for the alcoholic patient because of the ubiquitous presence of alcohol in many social contexts. 

The pharmacologic treatment of alcohol addiction is limited, although several compounds, with different goals, have been used. Therapy is discussed in Chapter 23. 

The biggest challenge is the treatment of addiction itself. Several approaches have been proposed, but all remain experimental. One approach is to pharmacologically reduce cravings. The P-opioid receptor antagonist and partial agonist naltrexone is FDA-approved for this indication in opioid and alcohol addiction. Its effect is modest and may involve a modulation of endogenous opioid systems. 

Although some claim that drug and alcohol addictions have high spontaneous recovery rates and short durations (for example, Hey man 1998), the preponderance of evidence is that drug and alcohol addictions are chronic, relapsing, progressive, and often fatal (Vaillant 1998) that absti-... 

Comings 1995,1997). This is interesting, as ADHD and conduct disorder have been unequivocally identified as major adolescent risk factors for drug and alcohol addiction (see, for example, Whitmore et al. 1997 Crowley et al. 1998). 

With the exceptions of methadone maintenance, LAAM maintenance, and nicotine substitution therapy (and probably naltrexone for alcohol addiction and bupropion for nicotine addiction), no clearly effective pharmacotherapy for drug addiction exists. Certainly, no broadly effective pharmacotherapy exists (effective for addictions to drugs of different chemical classes and pharmacological categories). Therapeutic strategies based on psychotherapy, group therapy, behavior modification, economic incentives, and aversion deconditioning have proven limited. 

Sukul NC, Ghosh S, Sinhababu SP, Sukul A. 2000a. Effect of Nux vomica mother tincture, strychnine and Nux vomica 30C on the alcohol addiction of albino rats. BrHomJ 89 Suppl 1 S1. 

An extract of Radix puerariae, a herb long used in traditional Chinese medicine for alcohol addiction and intoxication, suppresses the free-choice ethanol intake of ethanol. The isoflavonoids... 

Carson-Dewitt, Rosalyn, ed. Encyclopedia of Drugs, Alcohol Addictive Behavior. 2nd ed. Vol.1-4. New York Macmillan Reference USA, 2001. 

According to Alcoholism Addiction Magazine, researchers have put together a user profile of inhalant abusers. Almost all of the profile indicators relate to social and economic conditions. The profile of a typical inhalant abuser is poor academic achievement in junior high or middle school, no father living at home, poor coping skills, insecurity and low self-esteem, low I.Q., depression, an alcoholic living in the home, family problems, and low family income. 

Approximately 50% of all people entering treatment for cocaine abuse or addiction to painkillers also report abusing a benzodiazepine. As with Rohypnol users with a simultaneous alcohol addiction, those with an addiction to other drugs in addition to Rohypnol must undergo a more complex withdrawal treatment than those who are addicted to Rohypnol alone. 

In the past several years, a few medical researchers have stated they believe some hallucinogens may have valid medical uses, particularly in psychiatry. Also, studies are underway in Baltimore and New Mexico on the possible uses of hallucinogens to treat drug and alcohol addictions. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the studies. Recent advances in science have created opportunities for using hallucinogens as tools in learning how the brain functions. 

Studies show that marijuana does not produce the much harsher physical withdrawal symptoms experienced by heroin or alcohol addicts. Even heavy marijuana users can reduce or stop their use without physical withdrawal effects, since... 

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