New drug could help hard-drinkers quit alcohol in Japan

A new drug to treat alcoholism has enhanced the chances of hard-drinking Japanese addicts quitting alcohol, it has been revealed.

While conventional drugs discourage drinking by causing unpleasant symptoms, such as palpitations, nausea and headaches, after alcohol consumption, new drug- Regtect- improves the chemical balance in the brain to suppress a patient's craving, the Japan Times reported.

Susumu Higuchi, director of the National Hospital Kurihama Alcoholism Center, hopes that the new drug will help Japanese drinkers quit alcohol.

Alcohol dependence is a mental disease that can cause serious health problems, including liver, pancreas and brain damage.

A clinical test of Regtect involving about 320 patients in Japan found that after 24 weeks of use, nearly half achieved abstinence, compared with 36 percent in the placebo group.

However, it does have some side effects, including diarrhea, which are considered as manageable.