New Drug can Reduce Amount of Alcohol Consumed by Problem Drinkers

There may be relief at hand for Britons suffering from alcoholism with a new drug, which helps them reduce the amount of alcohol they consume, to be available from Monday.

The drug, known as nalmefene, has already been approved in Norway, Finland, Poland and the Baltic countries and doctors in Britain can now prescribe the drug to their patients with the manufacturers claiming that it can reduce the alcohol consumption levels by as much as 60 percent. The drug will cost around �42.42 for 14 tablets.

"This is an area with significant unmet medical needs, and we are excited about introducing an innovative treatment concept that provides a new and different option for patients who may otherwise not seek treatment", the senior vice- president of International Markets and Europe of production company Lundbeck, Ole Chrintz said.



Source: Medindia