Efficacy and Tolerability of Baclofen for Alcohol Dependence

Completed · Phase 2/Phase 3 · Has a placebo group

Conditions studied: Alcohol Dependence

In brief

This is a study of the efficacy and safety of baclofen for alcohol dependence. 80 outpatient subjects with DSM-IV alcohol dependence will be randomized to 10 mg three times a day (tid) baclofen or tid placebo. An effort will be made to recruit 40 men and 40 women. Subjects will receive BRENDA counseling over the 12 weeks of the trial. The Timeline Followback (TLFB) method will be used to assess drinking patterns. The primary outcome is % heavy drinking during the trial.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT00877734

Run by

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

People needed

80

Starts

2005-04-01

Expected to finish

2007-06-01

Last updated by the study team

2012-09-14

Who can join

Age: 21 and older, up to 65. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Men and women between the ages of 18 and 60 meeting DSM-IV criteria for current alcohol dependence.
• Must have had at least 2 heavy drinking days (men > 5 drinks/days; women > 4 drinks/day) per week, on average and an average overall consumption of 21 drinks/week or more for men and 14 drinks/week or more for women during the 4 weeks prior to screening.
• Able to understand and sign written informed consent.
• Must be willing to refrain from drinking for three days prior to randomization day.
• Express a desire to achieve abstinence or to greatly reduce alcohol consumption.
• Must have a stable residence and be able to identify an individual who could locate subject if needed.

You may not qualify if…

• Clinically significant medical disease that might interfere with the evaluation of the study medication or present a safety concern (e.g., cirrhosis, kidney impairment, unstable hypertension, hypotension, diabetes mellitus, seizure disorder).
• Clinically significant psychiatric illness including any psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, or severe depression; suicidal ideation; substance use disorder other than alcohol or nicotine dependence or cannabis abuse.
• History of complicated alcohol withdrawal, i.e. withdrawal seizure or delirium tremens.
• Concurrent use of any psychotropic medication including antidepressants, mood stabilizers, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, stimulants, or hypnotics. However, subjects who have been on stable doses of the antidepressants fluoxetine, sertraline, paroxetine, citalopram, ecitalapram, trazodone or venlafaxine for two months will be eligible. Subjects who have been taking benzodiazepines for alcohol detoxification will be required to have a washout period of at least five half-lives (approximately 5 days) from those medications before being randomized.
• Concurrent use of anticonvulsants, insulin, or oral hypoglycemics.
• AST, or ALT > 3 times Upper Limit of Normal (ULN), or bilirubin > ULN, or creatinine > ULN.
• Positive urine toxicology screen with the exception of cannabis. Individuals with positive cannabis screens will be excluded only if they have a history of cannabis dependence.
• Pregnant women and women of childbearing potential who do not practice a medically acceptable form of birth control (oral or depot contraceptive, or barrier methods such as diaphragm or condom with spermicidal).
• Women who are breastfeeding.
• Individuals requiring inpatient treatment or more intense outpatient treatment for their alcohol dependence.
• Participation in any clinical trial within the last 60 days.
• Court-mandated participation in alcohol treatment or pending incarceration.

Where it is running

• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine — Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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