Acamprosate: a new pharmacotherapeutic approach to relapse prevention in alcoholism--preliminary data.

The efficacy of the homotaurine-derivative acamprosate (calcium acetylhomotaurinate) to increase abstinence rates in weaned alcoholics was examined in a placebo-controlled double-blind multicentre study involving 272 subjects. Preliminary results indicate a significantly higher abstinence rate during and at the end of the study (42.8% vs. 20.7%, p < 0.01), a higher number of abstinent days and a lower drop-out rate in the treated than in the placebo group.