Acamprosate
Acamprosate, sold under the brand name Campral, is a medication which reduces alcoholism cravings. It is thought to stabilize chemical signaling in the brain that would otherwise be disrupted by alcohol withdrawal. When used alone, acamprosate is not an effective therapy for alcohol use disorder in most individuals, as it only addresses withdrawal symptoms and not psychological dependence. It facilitates a reduction in alcohol consumption as well as full abstinence when used in combination with psychosocial support or other drugs that address the addictive behavior.
Clinical data | |
---|---|
Pronunciation | /əˈkæmproʊseɪt/ |
Trade names | Campral EC |
Other names | N-Acetyl homotaurine, acamprosate calcium (JAN JP), acamprosate calcium (USAN US) |
AHFS/Drugs.com | Monograph |
Pregnancy category |
|
Routes of administration | Oral |
ATC code | |
Legal status | |
Legal status |
|
Pharmacokinetic data | |
Bioavailability | 11% |
Protein binding | Negligible |
Metabolism | Nil |
Elimination half-life | 20 h to 33 h |
Excretion | Kidney |
Identifiers | |
| |
CAS Number | |
PubChem CID | |
IUPHAR/BPS | |
DrugBank | |
ChemSpider | |
UNII | |
KEGG | |
ChEBI | |
ChEMBL | |
CompTox Dashboard (EPA) | |
ECHA InfoCard | 100.071.495 |
Chemical and physical data | |
Formula | C5H11NO4S |
Molar mass | 181.21 g·mol−1 |
3D model (JSmol) | |
SMILES
| |
| |
(what is this?) (verify) |
Serious side effects include allergic reactions, abnormal heart rhythms, and low or high blood pressure, while less serious side effects include headaches, insomnia, and impotence. Diarrhea is the most common side-effect. It is unclear if use is safe during pregnancy.
It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines.