Excessive alcohol use and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are leading causes of death and morbidity worldwide. Globally, alcohol use accounts for 2.2% of female deaths and 6.8% of male deaths1. AUD is a chronic relapsing disease associated with a host of adverse medical, psychiatric and social consequences2. According to the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 29.5 million people in the United States aged 12 years and older had a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5)3 diagnosis of AUD in the past year. However, fewer than 8.7% of diagnosed individuals had received any treatment for AUD. In addition to psychosocial treatments, only three medications—disulfiram, naltrexone and acamprosate—are approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for treating AUD, and another two (topiramate and gabapentin) are recommended for off-label use4.
