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Review
. 2020 Oct;21(15):1117-1138.
doi: 10.2217/pgs-2020-0079. Epub 2020 Aug 18.

Pharmacotherapies and personalized medicine for alcohol use disorder: a review

Falk W Lohoff  1
Affiliations
Review

Pharmacotherapies and personalized medicine for alcohol use disorder: a review

Falk W Lohoff. Pharmacogenomics. 2020 Oct.

Abstract

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is highly prevalent and among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Pharmacotherapies for AUD are limited, thus making identification of patient subgroups that are most likely to respond favorably crucial. In this article, pharmacogenetic research on US FDA-approved and commonly prescribed off-label medications for the treatment of AUD is comprehensively reviewed. While the field has advanced in understanding pharmacotherapies for AUD and potential genetic moderators of treatment responses, the pharmacogenetic data to guide the prescribing clinician are limited and should be interpreted with caution. Precision medicine for AUD with more beneficial treatment responses and minimal side effects remains a high priority for further research.

Keywords: alcohol dependence; alcohol use disorder; epigenetics; genetics; personalized medicine; pharmacotherapy; precision medicine; problematic drinking; psychiatric comorbidity; treatment response.

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Conflict of interest statement

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) intramural funding (ZIA-AA000242 to FW Lohoff); Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The author declares no conflict of interest. The author has no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

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