Two existing medications — one used for smoking cessation and the other for depression — may be significantly more effective when used together to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD), according to new research from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden.
The study found that combining varenicline (a drug commonly used to help people quit smoking) with bupropion (an antidepressant) was twice as effective in reducing alcohol consumption compared to currently approved medications for AUD.
Nearly 400 adults with moderate to severe alcohol use disorder participated in the 13-week clinical trial. Participants were randomly assigned to receive one of four treatments: the combination of varenicline and bupropion, either of the drugs alone, or a placebo. The study was double-blind, meaning neither the participants nor the researchers knew which treatment group they were in.
Those who received the combination therapy showed the greatest reduction in alcohol use. Varenicline alone also produced a positive effect, though not as strong.
An additional benefit was found in the combination’s tolerability. Nausea is a common side effect of varenicline, but researchers observed that this side effect was reduced when bupropion was added.
“It was surprising but very encouraging to see that nausea decreased when bupropion was added. The fact that the combination treatment is more tolerable for patients increases the chances that they will complete the full course of treatment,” said researcher Andrea de Bejczy in a press release.
Despite the promising results, the researchers emphasized that more studies are needed before this combination can be approved as a standard treatment for alcohol use disorder.
According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 10 percent of Americans aged 12 and older had an alcohol use disorder in the past year. Excessive alcohol use remains one of the leading preventable causes of death in the United States.
