Treatment of cocaine craving with as-needed nalmefene, a partial κ opioid receptor agonist: first clinical experience

This report describes the case of an abstinent cocaine-addicted patient regularly afflicted with cravings for cocaine. The patient took as-needed nalmefene for 5 months whenever she developed a craving for cocaine. For most of these interventions, the patient reported an abatement of craving and could avoid relapsing into cocaine consumption. This effect may be accounted for by nalmefene acting, other than naltrexone, as a partial agonist of the κ opioid-receptors. Therefore, nalmefene might be a promising new option in the pharmacological repertoire for the treatment of cocaine addiction.
Source: International Clinical Psychopharmacology - Category: Psychiatry Tags: Case Report Source Type: research