H Lundbeck AS is continuing development of nalmefene for the treatment of alcoholism, initiating three phase III clinical trials with the compound.
Based on earlier trials, the company is now launching three further trials, enrolling more than 1,800 patients randomised into groups receiving nalmefene or a placebo. The first two trials, in which patients are treated over a period of six months, primarily aims to demonstrate the efficacy of the drug.
The objective of the last study, in which patients are treated for 12 months, is to confirm that the compound is well-tolerated. The first data from the trials is expected in the first half of 2011.
Nalmefene builds on the principle of treating alcohol dependence by removing the desire to drink more, thereby controlling and limiting the intake of alcohol. It distinguishes itself by being available as a tablet to be taken only according to need.
A previous study documented the drug’s ability to significantly limit both the patient’s average alcohol intake and the number of days with an intake above five units of alcohol.