{"title":"Pharmacotherapy to Prevent Alcohol Relapse in Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease.","authors":"Wei Zhang, Soo Young Hwang, Jay Luther","doi":"10.1007/s11894-025-01026-x","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose of review: </strong>Alcohol use disorder (AUD) drives alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD), and relapsing after abstinence remains a significant challenge before and after transplantation. This review summarizes evidence for pharmacotherapies in relapse prevention and their integration into ALD care.</p><p><strong>Recent findings: </strong>Naltrexone and acamprosate reduce the relapse in the general AUD population, though data in ALD are limited. Baclofen is the only drug tested in randomized trials in cirrhosis, with early benefit but mixed results in later studies. Gabapentin and topiramate are promising off-label options. Emerging agents include glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, psilocybin, and fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF21) analogs, all showing early signals in reducing alcohol use. Despite guideline support, pharmacotherapy is underutilized in ALD due to lack of insight, stigma, provider inexperience, and fragmented care. Integrated programs across the disease spectrum demonstrate feasibility and may improve pharmacotherapy uptake. Pharmacotherapy is effective yet underused for relapse prevention in ALD. Integration with behavioral interventions and multidisciplinary care is essential to expand access, evaluate novel therapies, and improve patient outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":10776,"journal":{"name":"Current Gastroenterology Reports","volume":"27 1","pages":"74"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Current Gastroenterology Reports","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11894-025-01026-x","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"Medicine","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Purpose of review: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) drives alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD), and relapsing after abstinence remains a significant challenge before and after transplantation. This review summarizes evidence for pharmacotherapies in relapse prevention and their integration into ALD care.
Recent findings: Naltrexone and acamprosate reduce the relapse in the general AUD population, though data in ALD are limited. Baclofen is the only drug tested in randomized trials in cirrhosis, with early benefit but mixed results in later studies. Gabapentin and topiramate are promising off-label options. Emerging agents include glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, psilocybin, and fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF21) analogs, all showing early signals in reducing alcohol use. Despite guideline support, pharmacotherapy is underutilized in ALD due to lack of insight, stigma, provider inexperience, and fragmented care. Integrated programs across the disease spectrum demonstrate feasibility and may improve pharmacotherapy uptake. Pharmacotherapy is effective yet underused for relapse prevention in ALD. Integration with behavioral interventions and multidisciplinary care is essential to expand access, evaluate novel therapies, and improve patient outcomes.
期刊介绍:
As the field of gastroenterology and hepatology rapidly evolves, the wealth of published literature can be overwhelming. The aim of the journal is to help readers stay abreast of such advances by offering authoritative, systematic reviews by leading experts. We accomplish this aim by appointing Section Editors who invite international experts to contribute review articles that highlight recent developments and important papers published in the past year. Major topics in gastroenterology are covered, including pediatric gastroenterology, neuromuscular disorders, infections, nutrition, and inflammatory bowel disease. These reviews provide clear, insightful summaries of expert perspectives relevant to clinical practice. An Editorial Board of internationally diverse members suggests topics of special interest to their country/region and ensures that topics are current and include emerging research. We also provide commentaries from well-known figures in the field.