Clinical trial NCT00525252: Efficacy of Baclofen in the Treatment of Alcohol Addiction
Official title: Maintaining Alcohol Abstinence in Alcoholic Patients With Liver Cirrhosis: Efficacy and Safety of Baclofen Administration in a Randomized Double Blind Controlled Study
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: PHASE1
PHASE2
Conditions: Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic
Keywords: Liver cirrhosis
Alcoholism
Craving
Lead sponsor: Catholic University of the Sacred Heart
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2007-09-05
Enrollment: 86
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 75
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: Intervention to achieve alcohol abstinence represents the most effective treatment for alcoholic patients with liver cirrhosis. However no trials have evaluated the efficacy of anti-craving drugs in these patients because of the concern that these medications might worsen liver disease. Baclofen is effective to reduce alcohol craving improving abstinence in alcohol-dependent patients. It is mainly eliminated by kidney. No hepatic side-effects have been reported in treated patients. The present study investigates the efficacy and safety of baclofen in achieving and maintaining abstinence in alcoholic cirrhotic patients.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* age ranging from 18 to 75 years
* diagnosis of alcohol dependence according to DSM IV criteria
* diagnosis of liver cirrhosis
* alcohol intake of 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 enrolment
* presence of a referred family member

Exclusion Criteria:

* severe heart or lung disease
* kidney alterations and/or hepato-renal syndrome
* tumours, including hepatocellular carcinoma
* metabolic diseases, including diabetes
* clinical signs of hepatic encephalopathy
* patients treated with interferon or corticosteroids within the last 60 days
* psychopathological illness undergoing treatment with psychoactive drugs
* epilepsy or epileptiform convulsions
* addiction to drugs other than nicotine

Primary outcomes:
measure: Total alcohol abstinence; cumulative abstinence duration
timeFrame: 12 weeks
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Obsessive and Compulsive craving
timeFrame: 12 weeks
Other outcomes:
Locations:
Study officials:
affiliation: Catholic University of Rome
name: Giovanni Addolorato, M.D.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Addolorato G, Caputo F, Capristo E, Domenicali M, Bernardi M, Janiri L, Agabio R, Colombo G, Gessa GL, Gasbarrini G. Baclofen efficacy in reducing alcohol craving and intake: a preliminary double-blind randomized controlled study. Alcohol Alcohol. 2002 Sep-Oct;37(5):504-8. doi: 10.1093/alcalc/37.5.504.
citation: Addolorato G, Leggio L, Ferrulli A, Cardone S, Vonghia L, Mirijello A, Abenavoli L, D'Angelo C, Caputo F, Zambon A, Haber PS, Gasbarrini G. Effectiveness and safety of baclofen for maintenance of alcohol abstinence in alcohol-dependent patients with liver cirrhosis: randomised, double-blind controlled study. Lancet. 2007 Dec 8;370(9603):1915-22. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61814-5.