Source: The Spirits Business

by Annie Hayes

15th April, 2016

A drug currently used to treat angina and high blood pressure has been proven to reduce binge drinking in an “internationally significant” breakthrough.

Established beta blocker pindolol was proven to reduce alcohol consumption, particularly in relation to binge drinking, according to a study from Queensland University of Technology.

The drug – which already has approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) – was found to diminish ethanol intake in animals, and is set to undergo human clinical trials.

Neuroscientist Professor Selena Bartlett, from QUT’s Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, told Medical Xpress: “Drugs currently used for AUDs – acamprosate, naltrexone and disulfiram – have limited success, so this is a ground-breaking development with enormous potential.

“In an internationally-significant breakthrough, our study showed pindolol was able to reduce ethanol/alcohol consumption, particularly in relation to binge drinking, a key behaviour observed in human alcohol dependence.”

The study was published in Addiction Biology, the Journal of the Society for the Study of Addiction.