Alcohol use disorder (AUD) affects hundreds of millions of people globally and drives enormous disease burden through liver damage, heart disease, cancer, and injury. Effective medications exist but are dramatically underused, and research is focused on better pharmacological options and more accessible treatment delivery.
What's actually going on in research
GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide are showing striking reductions in alcohol cravings and consumption in trials, opening a new drug class for AUD. The combination of naltrexone and bupropion is being studied as an approach targeting both reward and impulse control circuits. Novel GABA modulators and neuroactive steroids are in trials for treating acute withdrawal and reducing relapse risk.
GLP-1 agonists for AUD
Semaglutide and other GLP-1 receptor agonists are reducing alcohol consumption in early trials. Large head-to-head trials are now testing how well they work for maintaining abstinence or reducing heavy drinking.
GABA and neurosteroid drugs
New drugs modulating GABA-A receptors — including neuroactive steroids related to brexanolone — are being tested for alcohol withdrawal and craving reduction.
Digital and integrated treatment
App-based contingency management and remotely delivered behavioral therapy combined with medication are being tested to dramatically expand access to evidence-based AUD treatment.
What to know before you search
Eligibility requires an AUD diagnosis meeting specified severity criteria, often a minimum number of drinking days per week, and typically a willingness to reduce or abstain from alcohol.
What types of trials are currently open
- Medication trials — Testing new or repurposed drugs for craving reduction, relapse prevention, and withdrawal management.
- Behavioral therapy trials — Comparing therapy modalities, digital delivery, and combined medication-plus-therapy approaches.
- Harm reduction trials — Testing strategies that reduce alcohol-related harm even in people not pursuing abstinence.
- Liver disease trials — Testing AUD treatment integrated with alcoholic hepatitis or cirrhosis management.
- Observational studies — Tracking drinking patterns, treatment-seeking, and recovery trajectories over time.
Recently added Alcohol Use Disorder trials
Smartphone-based Intervention for Young Adults With ADHD
The primary goal of this clinical trial is to test if a smartphone-based intervention is feasible \& acceptable among young adults with ADHD who also engage in risky drinking behaviors. A secondary aim is to test preliminary intervention efficacy. The main questions it aims to answer are: Is the smartphone intervention feasible \& acceptable for participants (e.g., are they responding regularly, is there a low level of burden reported)? Does the smartphone intervention improve symptom awareness, inhibitory control, and problematic alcohol use? Participants will: Attend a virtual baseline visit to assess ADHD, alcohol use, and other life experiences. Complete either the TIPS smartphone intervention or a control smartphone protocol over the course of 31-days, starting the first Friday after the baseline visit. Attend a virtual follow-up visit, where many of the same questions from the baseline visit will be asked again.
Imaging CRF X NOP Interactions in Alcohol Use Disorder
This positron emission tomography imaging study uses \[C-11\]NOP-1A and hydrocortisone to image stress-modulating proteins in heavy drinking alcohol use disorder (AUD) subjects and healthy controls (HC). It will also characterize the role of these stress-regulating proteins in a relapse to alcohol.
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