A group of scientists at Scripps Research has found that a medicine already used to treat some skin and joint conditions might also help people who have alcohol problems and suffer from pain.
The medicine is called apremilast, and it is currently approved to treat psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, which are both linked to long-term inflammation.
This discovery could be very helpful because alcohol use disorder, or AUD, is a serious condition that affects millions of people around the world. Many people with AUD also experience long-lasting pain or a condition called mechanical allodynia. This means even light touches can feel painful.
This kind of pain often happens during alcohol withdrawal and can make it harder for people to stop drinking. Sadly, pain is often ignored when doctors treat alcohol problems, even though it can lead people to start drinking again.
The new study, published in the journal JCI Insight, tested whether apremilast could help with both drinking and pain. In earlier studies, the drug had already been shown to reduce alcohol use in both animals and humans. This time, the scientists also wanted to see if it could lower pain.
To find out, the researchers tested the drug on two types of rats. One type had a genetic tendency to drink alcohol, while the other was a common lab rat. Both groups were given access to alcohol and then treated with either apremilast or a fake pill called a placebo.
The results were promising. Rats that got apremilast drank less alcohol. They also showed fewer signs of pain. These effects were not just temporary—they lasted up to four weeks even after the alcohol was taken away. This means the drug could have long-lasting benefits.
However, the scientists noticed some differences. For example, male rats did not get as much pain relief as females, suggesting the drug may work differently in men and women. This shows why future studies should look at how things like sex and genetics affect how well the drug works.
The researchers also looked at the rats’ brains. They found that apremilast increased brain signals in a part of the brain called the central amygdala. This area is linked to both addiction and pain. Interestingly, this brain effect only happened in one group of rats, which shows that genetic makeup may also play a role in how well the drug works.
The study also found that rats that had been drinking alcohol had higher levels of certain inflammation-related genes. This supports the idea that inflammation connects pain and alcohol use. While some other drugs have been tested to help with pain, apremilast may be especially useful for people who suffer from both pain and alcohol dependence.
It’s important to remember that this research was done in rats. Scientists now need to do clinical trials with people to find out if the drug really works and is safe for human use in treating alcohol addiction and pain.
The team also wants to study whether the drug could help with anxiety, another common problem for people trying to quit drinking. Many people go back to drinking because of emotional stress, so a drug that helps with both pain and anxiety could be very helpful.
In the end, this study gives hope that apremilast might be used in a new way—to help people with alcohol use disorder and pain. It shows that treating addiction should include care for both the body and the mind.
If you care about alcoholism, please read studies that your age may decide whether alcohol is good or bad for you, and people over 40 need to prevent dangerous alcohol/drug interactions.
For more information about alcohol, please see recent studies about moderate alcohol drinking linked to high blood pressure, and results showing this drug combo shows promise for treating alcoholism.
Copyright © 2025 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
