Asthma Medication Shows Limited Effect on Alcoholism but Benefits Women in Recent Study

A recent clinical trial conducted by UCLA investigated the effectiveness of ibudilast, a medication approved in Japan for asthma and post-stroke dizziness, in treating alcohol use disorder. Although previous research suggested potential benefits, the study found that ibudilast did not outperform a placebo in reducing alcohol consumption overall. Participants were treated over 12 weeks, with some showing moderate reduction in heavy drinking days, but these changes were observed both in the medication and placebo groups, making it difficult to attribute improvements solely to ibudilast.

Interestingly, the study revealed a notable exception among women. Female participants taking ibudilast tended to drink fewer drinks per drinking day, indicating a potential gender-specific response. Conversely, individuals with higher levels of depression experienced worse outcomes on the drug. The research also explored inflammatory markers but did not find significant reductions, suggesting that the drug’s mechanism might involve immune system modulation.

The findings support further exploration into immune-targeting treatments for alcohol use disorder, especially considering the observed gender differences. Researchers emphasize that inflammation may play a key role in psychiatric conditions like alcoholism and depression, and immune-based therapies could represent a promising avenue.

The study underscores the challenge of clinical trials in this area, where participants often improve regardless of treatment due to the placebo effect and treatment environment. Future longer-term studies are planned to better understand which subgroups respond best and how to optimize treatment strategies.

Overall, while ibudilast was not broadly effective, its potential benefit for women warrants additional focused research. This approach aligns with growing interest in leveraging immune responses to treat complex psychiatric and substance use disorders.

source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-asthma-medication-alcoholism-women-benefit.html