LOS ANGELES, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- A new study has found that apremilast, a drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of psoriasis, cuts alcohol intake by more than half in people with severe alcohol use disorder (AUD).
The drug was known to block a molecule known as PDE4, which plays important roles in both immune and brain cell function. While its use in treating psoriasis is due to its immune function, basic scientific studies in mice had suggested that blocking PDE4 in the brain could reduce alcohol intake, according to a release about the study published Monday by Scripps Research.
