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Pharmacotherapy of addictions
Mary Jeanne Kreek1, K Steven LaForge, Eduardo Butelman
1Laboratory of the Biology of Addictive Diseases, Rockefeller University, 1230 York Avenue, New York, New York 10021, USA. kreek@mail.rockefeller.edu
Nature Reviews. Drug Discovery
|September 5, 2002
Summary
Pharmacotherapies for addiction, including heroin, cocaine, and alcohol, are underdeveloped. Advances in addiction biology offer new opportunities for developing effective drug treatments.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
- Addiction Medicine
Background:
- Substance addiction poses significant societal costs.
- Pharmaceutical industry investment in addiction pharmacotherapy has been limited.
- Understanding addiction's biological underpinnings is advancing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current pharmacotherapeutic treatments for addiction.
- To identify promising future directions for addiction pharmacotherapy development.
- To highlight research from a National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Research Center.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of approved addiction pharmacotherapies.
- Analysis of emerging biological targets for drug development.
- Perspective from a leading NIDA Research Center.
Main Results:
- Current pharmacotherapeutic options for addiction are limited.
- Significant potential exists for novel drug development based on biological insights.
- Specific promising areas for future research are identified.
Conclusions:
- There is a critical need to re-evaluate pharmaceutical industry involvement in addiction treatment.
- Advances in understanding addiction biology pave the way for innovative pharmacotherapies.
- Targeted research and development are essential to address the addiction crisis.