Chunk #26 — 3. Pharmacogenetic Studies of Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder in Individuals of Diverse Ancestries — 3.3 Individuals of African Ancestry
To date, NTX treatment response has been investigated in two pharmacologic studies among individuals of African ancestry and in one study that included predominantly African American individuals (>74%). In the latter study, twelve weeks of NTX treatment relative to placebo was associated with reductions in craving for alcohol, a decrease of subsequent drinking after consuming one drink, and a clinically significant reduction in relapse.53 In contrast, a sub-analysis of the COMBINE study, which included a 16-week treatment trial with NTX, was conducted in a population of AD individuals of African ancestry, but in this sub-analysis, NTX did not have an effect on number of days abstinent, clinical outcomes, or time until the first heavy drinking day, which were the main outcomes from the COMBINE Study.54 While, this study did not examine genetic moderators of treatment response, the frequency of the Asp40 allele has been shown to be <5% in individuals of African ancestry44, which could account for the poor treatment response to NTX in this study. A subsequent alcohol challenge study in social drinkers of African ancestry also did not
