Can Nalmefene Curb Compulsive Gambling
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have found that daily doses of an experimental drug called nalmefene (Revex, BioTie Therapies, Finland), which has been used to treat alcoholism, may be able to reduce the urge to gamble.
Nalmefene, an opioid antagonist, helps to take the compulsive thrill out of winning and losing by interfering with sensations of pleasure and reward. Treated patients report that gambling no longer seemed as thrilling or compelling.
Of 207 people undergoing treatment for compulsive gambling at 15 centers in the U.S., almost two thirds of the patients who were given nalmefene showed “significant” improvement during the four months of treatment; about one-third in the placebo group responded favorably. One-third of the original participants dropped out because of nausea and other ADEs.
In the past, serotonin inhibitors and lithium showed mixed results. Naltrexone (Generic ReVia, Duramed Pharmaceuticals, DuPont), now indicated for alcoholism, might be a promising treatment for pathological gambling, but it has been linked to severe liver damage.
Nalmefene seems to be most effective when use with traditional counseling and therapy. It is structurally similar to naloxone (Narcan, Endo) and Naltrexone medication.
