It’s been 30 years since naltrexone was approved by the FDA for the treatment of alcohol problems.

Dr. Joseph Volpicelli, the clinician-researcher who first discovered that naltrexone was effective in reducing alcohol misuse, recently published a reflection looking back — and ahead — on the anniversary of naltrexone’s approval.

Dr. V.’s decades of experience studying naltrexone and our years of experience simplifying patients’ access to naltrexone through Oar Health have led us to some common conclusions:

‍Naltrexone works: Dr. V.’s foundational research showed that patients taking naltrexone were much less likely to relapse to alcohol dependence than those given a placebo. Our experience at Oar shows the same, with a majority of members meeting their goal to drink less or not at all after 10, 45 and 90 days of treatment through Oar.

‍Naltrexone can support moderation as well as sobriety: Dr. V.’s research shows that “taking naltrexone before drinking can help some people limit their intake, avoiding the loss of control associated with excessive drinking.” This is good news for the 76% of Oar members who join with the goal of cutting back their alcohol use rather than quitting entirely.

‍Naltrexone is still underprescribed: Dr. V. writes that “30 years after its approval, naltrexone, which is available as both an oral medication and a long-acting injectable, remains frequently underutilized as a treatment choice relative to its demonstrated efficacy.” Every day at Oar Health, we hear from people who have struggled with alcohol use disorder for years, but never been offered medication proven to treat their condition — in some cases because they have not sought treatment before and in others because their providers were not prepared to incorporate medication-assisted treatment into their approaches.

Naltrexone’s approval 30 years ago was a breakthrough — the first new medication approved by the FDA to treat alcohol problems in decades. But we have not done enough over the intervening years to drive adoption of this safe, effective tool for transforming lives. Our hope is that progress over the next 30 years is more rapid, and we are proud to offer Oar Health’s simple online access point as one pillar of that progress.

"I never used to be a drinker but, when I married someone who drank alcohol socially, I became one.  Unfortunately for me, social drinking led to a daily habit of at least a bottle a day of vodka or whiskey, and my life began to fall apart. Worse yet, no matter how many times I tried to quit, I just couldn’t stick with it.  Then I discovered Oar and started taking naltrexone. I also began to see a therapist experienced in treating addiction but it was the medication that allowed me to get through those early days and weeks of abstinence.  Now I am 6 months sober and my life is so much better. Despite this, I have no plans to stop naltrexone or therapy any time soon.  I am still fairly early into my sobriety and my current treatment has been a complete game changer for me."

‍— Mrs C, Oar Health Member

Are you looking for something that you can do right now to help you achieve your goals? Check out Pilot by Oar, a collection of simple, actionable, evidence-based steps that you can take to change your relationship with alcohol.

Learn, reflect, act or connect based on what fits your current mood and needs.

Is That Drink Worth It To You? | New York Times
“Alcohol is riskier than previously thought, but weighing the trade-offs of health risks can be deeply personal. No amount of alcohol is good for you — that much is clear. But one might reasonably ask: Just how bad is it?”

By the Numbers: America’s Alcohol-Related Health Problems Are Rising Fast | STAT
‍“Alcohol sales per capita went up more from 2019 to 2021 than in any two-year period since 1969, according to estimates from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Deaths from excessive alcohol use are also rising, as are deaths where the underlying cause of death was alcohol-related. And it’s not just liver disease. Alcohol has been linked with over 200 conditions, impacting basically every single organ system.”

Alcohol Use Disorder Among Reproductive-Age Women — And Barriers To Treatment | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
‍“Financial barriers—including costs and lack of insurance coverage—were the most frequently cited reason for not receiving treatment across our entire study population. Treatment not being a priority — including women’s belief they could handle their alcohol use on their own or didn’t have time, desire, or faith in treatment — was the next most common reason. Access barriers — including lack of transportation, treatment options being unavailable or programs being too full, or lack of knowledge of where to seek treatment — and stigma were next most common.”

Why MAT for Alcohol Use Disorder Gets Overshadowed | Behavioral Health Business
‍“A small portion of Americans who have alcohol use disorder (AUD) get potentially lifesaving and effective treatment. …Within the U.S., about 2.1%, or 634,000 people, who could be considered as having AUD received MAT within the past year, according to the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) report.”

Wegovy, Ozempic May Help Curb Alcohol Dependence | U.S. News & World Report
‍“Could the blockbuster GLP-1 meds like Wegovy and Ozempic have a role to play in helping people cut down on problem drinking? A new study suggests so. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland report that obese folks with drinking issues who took the drugs to shed pounds had an up to 56% reduction in re-occurrence of alcohol use disorder over one year later, compared to those not using the meds.”