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Pharmacological Treatment of Alcoholism

Garbutt
J.C. Garbutt, M.D.

Primary Areas of Focus

  • Investigation of medications for the treatment of alcoholism including studies of naltrexone, acamprosate, baclofen and combinations of these medications
  • Investigation of predictors of response to medication, e.g. the sweet-liking phenotype as a predictor of naltrexone response
  • Investigation of the sweet-liking phenotype as a predictor of risk of alcohol use disorders

Key Contributions

  • Lead author for multi-center trial establishing the safety and efficacy of long-acting naltrexone for the treatment of alcoholism.
  • Co-Investigator for studies demonstrating that the sweet-liking phenotype is a risk factor for alcohol use disorders. Discovered that when combined with other risk factors, such as novelty seeking, the presence of the sweet-liking phenotype greatly increases risk for alcohol-related problems.
  • Co-Investigator for first placebo-controlled trial of baclofen for the treatment of alcoholism.
  • Principal Investigator for first placebo-controlled trial of acamprosate for alcoholism in a Family Medicine setting in the United States.