A team of researchers from Pfizer, a drug company, and the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California San Francisco have found that two new compounds might hold promise in simultaneously treating alcohol and nicotine addiction.
The research study showed that in rats, alcohol consumption was significantly lowered by two unique compounds that target specific areas of the brain.
"The problem has been translating these important genetic findings into more effective medications for people," said study author Selena E. Bartlett, Ph.D. Bartlett said that one of the compounds, called CP-601932, has been clinically proven to be safe for people. Bartlett now hopes a clinical study will be completed to find out how effective the compound will be in treating addiction to both alcohol and cigarettes.
The other compound is called PF-4575180, and both compounds were developed by Pfizer. The company now has an interest in developing any drugs as a result of the research.
"Alcohol and nicotine addiction are often treated as separate disorders, despite the fact that 60 to 80 percent of heavy drinkers smoke tobacco," Bartlett said. "There are very few effective strategies for treating these disorders separately, let alone together. Our data suggests it may be possible to treat both alcohol and nicotine dependence with one medication."
