Condition

Alcohol use disorders

Clinical trials and treatment information for Alcohol use disorders

111.1M
People Affected
150
Active Trials
5.6M
New Cases/Year
158K
Deaths/Year

Treatment Rankings

Ranked by evidence volume first. Medicine has spent centuries ranking things by vibes. This is an improvement.

1
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
60% Effectiveness• 95% Confidence• 95% Safety• 128 trials• 25K participants
HIGH EvidenceGood ValueDose: 60-90 minute sessions, 1-2 times per week
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

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Meth💀
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95
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

2-4 weeks

Duration

12-20 sessions over 3-6 months

Response Rate

50%

Remission Rate

30%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$0

Monitoring

$400

Side Effects

$0

Total Annual

$400

Cost-Effectiveness

GOOD

QALYs Gained

0.25

ICER

$60,000/QALY

Cost per Remission

$9,333

Cost per Responder

$5,600

Treatment Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Percent Days Abstinent (PDA)35% of days abstinent over 28-day period
+85.7% (+30 percentage points in days abstinent)
Heavy Drinking Days per Month15 heavy drinking days per month
-66.7% (-10 heavy drinking days per month)
Alcohol Craving (OCDS score)Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS) score: 28/40
-39.3% (-11 points on OCDS)
Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scoreAUDIT score: 25/40
-48% (-12 points on AUDIT)
Secondary Benefits
Quality of Life (EQ-5D VAS)EuroQol 5 Dimension Visual Analogue Scale (EQ-5D VAS) score: 55/100
+18.2% (+10 points on EQ-5D VAS)
Depressive Symptoms (PHQ-9 score)Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) score: 18/27
-44.4% (-8 points on PHQ-9)
Anxiety Symptoms (GAD-7 score)Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) score: 15/21
-46.7% (-7 points on GAD-7)
2
Oral Naltrexone
35% Effectiveness• 90% Confidence• 62% Safety• 14 trials• 18K participants
HIGH EvidenceExcellent ValueDose: 50mg daily
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
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62
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

1-2 weeks

Duration

3-12 months

Response Rate

35%

Remission Rate

20%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

10

Common Side Effects:

Nausea: 15%
Headache: 10%
Dizziness: 7%
Fatigue: 7%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$500

Monitoring

$750

Side Effects

$100

Total Annual

$1,350

Cost-Effectiveness

EXCELLENT

QALYs Gained

0.1

ICER

$30,000/QALY

Cost per Remission

$6,750

Cost per Responder

$3,857

Treatment Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Reduction in Heavy Drinking DaysAverage 18 heavy drinking days/month
-15% (-2.7 heavy drinking days/month)
Reduction in Total Alcohol ConsumptionAverage 35 standard drinks/week
-12% (-4.2 standard drinks/week)
Increase in Abstinence DaysAverage 8 abstinence days/month
+25% (+2 abstinence days/month)
Reduction in Alcohol Craving (OCDS score)Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS) score: 28/40
-15% (-4.2 OCDS points)
Secondary Benefits
Time to First Heavy Drinking DayMedian 30 days
+25% (+7.5 days)
Reduction in Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase (GGT)GGT: 85 U/L
-20% (-17 U/L)
Improvement in Quality of Life (EQ-5D VAS)EQ-5D Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score: 60/100
+8% (+4.8 points)
Common Side Effects
Nausea
+15%
Headache
+10%
Dizziness
+7%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 4
3
Acamprosate
35% Effectiveness• 90% Confidence• 72% Safety• 12 trials• 15K participants
HIGH EvidenceExcellent ValueDose: 666mg three times daily (total 1998mg/day)
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
72
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

2-4 weeks

Duration

6-12 months

Response Rate

35%

Remission Rate

25%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

10

Common Side Effects:

Diarrhea: 18%
Nausea: 8%
Abdominal pain: 7%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$800

Monitoring

$400

Side Effects

$100

Total Annual

$1,300

Cost-Effectiveness

EXCELLENT

QALYs Gained

0.15

ICER

$40,000/QALY

Cost per Remission

$5,200

Cost per Responder

$3,714

Treatment Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Percentage of Days Abstinent (PDA)45% (approx. 13.5 days/month)
+33.3% (+15 percentage points)
Heavy Drinking Days (HDD)18 days per month
-40% (-7.2 days per month)
Alcohol Craving (OCDS Score)Obsessive Compulsive Drinking Scale (OCDS) Score: 32/40
-25% (-8 points on OCDS scale)
Time to First Drink (TTFD)Median Time to First Drink: 25 days post-detox
+60% (+15 days)
Secondary Benefits
Liver Enzyme (Gamma-GT)Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase (GGT): 75 U/L
-35% (-26.25 U/L)
Anxiety Symptoms (HAM-A Score)Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) Score: 22/56
-18.2% (-4 points on HAM-A scale)
Quality of Life (SF-36 Mental Component Summary)SF-36 Mental Component Summary (MCS) Score: 38/100
+12% (+4.56 points on SF-36 MCS)
Common Side Effects
Diarrhea
+18%
Nausea
+8%
Abdominal pain
+7%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 4
4
Topiramate (Off-label)
38% Effectiveness• 85% Confidence• 60% Safety• 50 trials• 8K participants
MODERATE EvidenceExcellent ValueDose: 100-300mg daily (titrated)
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
60
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

2-4 weeks

Duration

6-12 months

Response Rate

38%

Remission Rate

20%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

10

Common Side Effects:

Paresthesia: 40%
Cognitive slowing: 15%
Anorexia/Weight loss: 12%
Fatigue: 12%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$500

Monitoring

$600

Side Effects

$200

Total Annual

$1,300

Cost-Effectiveness

EXCELLENT

QALYs Gained

0.12

ICER

$45,000/QALY

Cost per Remission

$6,500

Cost per Responder

$3,421

Treatment Outcomes
Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+38%
Response Rate
+38%
Remission Rate
+20%
Common Side Effects
Paresthesia
+40%
Cognitive slowing
+15%
Anorexia/Weight loss
+12%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 3Phase 4
5
Gabapentin (Off-label)
30% Effectiveness• 80% Confidence• 68% Safety• 40 trials• 6K participants
MODERATE EvidenceGood ValueDose: 900-1800mg daily (titrated)
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
68
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

1-3 weeks

Duration

3-12 months

Response Rate

30%

Remission Rate

15%

Number Needed to Treat (NNT)

12

Common Side Effects:

Dizziness: 15%
Somnolence: 12%
Peripheral edema: 7%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$500

Monitoring

$400

Side Effects

$100

Total Annual

$1,000

Cost-Effectiveness

GOOD

QALYs Gained

0.1

ICER

$50,000/QALY

Cost per Remission

$6,667

Cost per Responder

$3,333

Treatment Outcomes
Efficacy Outcomes
Overall Effectiveness
+30%
Response Rate
+30%
Remission Rate
+15%
Common Side Effects
Dizziness
+15%
Somnolence
+12%
Peripheral edema
+7%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 3Phase 4
6
Disulfiram
30% Effectiveness• 75% Confidence• 35% Safety• 8 trials• 4K participants
MODERATE EvidenceGood ValueDose: 250-500mg daily
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
35
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

Within hours of first dose

Duration

6-12 months (adherence dependent)

Response Rate

30%

Remission Rate

20%

Common Side Effects:

Metallic taste: 15%
Fatigue: 8%
Skin rash: 4%
Disulfiram-ethanol reaction (with alcohol): 100%
Hepatotoxicity (rare): 0.5%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$350

Monitoring

$1,000

Side Effects

$300

Total Annual

$1,650

Cost-Effectiveness

GOOD

QALYs Gained

0.05

ICER

$50,000/QALY

Cost per Remission

$8,250

Cost per Responder

$5,500

Treatment Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Number of Heavy Drinking Days per Month12 days/month
-75% (-9 days/month)
Percentage of Days Abstinent40% of days abstinent
+75% (+30 percentage points)
Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase (GGT)150 U/L
-60% (-90 U/L)
Secondary Benefits
Overall Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF score)45/100
+33.3% (+15 points)
Alcohol-Related Problems (AUDIT-C score)9/12
-44.4% (-4 points)
Social Functioning (GAF score)55/100
+18.2% (+10 points)
Common Side Effects
Metallic taste
+15%
Fatigue
+8%
Skin rash
+4%

Clinical Trial Phases:

Phase 4
7
Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET)
25% Effectiveness• 90% Confidence• 95% Safety• 27 trials• 20K participants
HIGH EvidenceExcellent ValueDose: 15-60 minute sessions
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Comparative Safety Scale(Higher is safer)

Cyanide☠️
Meth💀
Cigarettes🚬
Chemo☢️
Alcohol🍺
Morphine💊
Antibiotics💉
Tylenol💊
Exercise🏃
Water💧
95
DangerousModerateSafe

Time to Effect

1-4 weeks

Duration

1-4 sessions

Response Rate

30%

Remission Rate

15%

Annual Cost of Care

Drug Cost

$0

Monitoring

$400

Side Effects

$0

Total Annual

$400

Cost-Effectiveness

EXCELLENT

QALYs Gained

0.08

ICER

$15,000/QALY

Cost per Remission

$3,333

Cost per Responder

$1,667

Treatment Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Heavy Drinking Days (HDD) per month20 days/month
-50% (-10 days/month)
Drinks per week40 drinks/week
-50% (-20 drinks/week)
Percentage of Days Abstinent (PDA)20% abstinent days
+150% (+30 percentage points (to 50%))
Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) Score25 points (max 40, indicating severe AUD)
-32% (-8 points)
Secondary Benefits
Readiness to Change Scale (e.g., URICA Precontemplation subscale)18 points (URICA-PC, max 20, high precontemplation)
-22% (-4 points)
Quality of Life (e.g., EQ-5D Index)0.65 (scale 0-1)
+8% (+0.05 units)
Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) Score15 points (moderate depression, max 27)
-27% (-4 points)