Alcohol Dependence And Abuse A Major Health Problem In The United States

Main Category: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs
Article Date: 29 Feb 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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Now the third-leading lifestyle-related cause of death in the United States, excessive drinking accounts for 75,000 deaths each year. Such high numbers have raised awareness about the ill effects of excessive drinking, even as treatment for alcohol dependence and abuse as part of the normal medical practice, have become more common. Going forward, the prevalence of alcohol dependence expects to decrease in the United States, but that of alcohol abuse looks as if it will increase.

New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (http://www.pharmaceuticals.frost.com), U.S. Alcohol Dependence and Abuse Pharmaceuticals: Therapeutic Overview and Patient Outlook, finds that patient population growth expects to occur in alcohol abuse, while it expects to decrease for alcohol dependence.

"New research regarding addiction and how it affects the brain have lead to the development of better medication to treat this disease as well as increased acceptance of the usefulness of medication," notes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Katheryn Symank. "This has the potential to positively impact revenues by expanding the diagnosed alcohol dependence and abuse patient populations."

While 10 years ago there were very few products in development for these disorders, today over 51 products operate in clinical trials. These pipeline products focus on specific aspects of the disease, and fall into the categories such as medication to decrease cravings, mediation to help treat withdrawal symptoms, medication to reduce drinking by treating psychiatric pathology and medication to increase sobriety.

Furthermore, new research into these disorders leads to new evidence for the health risks of consuming alcohol in excessive amounts. Knowledge about the co-morbidities of alcohol dependence and abuse has the potential to inspire doctors to increase screening and for patients to seek treatment.

However, underutilization of approved medications has become a major obstacle for the U.S. alcohol dependence and abuse pharmaceuticals market, hindering its expansion. The primary reason for this is the bias against the use of any medication that alters mood, or that change the need to consume alcohol. Additionally, a lack of awareness exists in the medical community about the benefit of these medications in recovery.

"Although numerous studies that highlight the effectiveness of medication for alcohol dependence or abuse already existed, very few patients are prescribed these medications," explains Symank. "In fact, one study found that only 5 percent of those diagnosed were ever prescribed medication."

The development of education programs that highlight the effectiveness of these medications could provide renewed growth in this market. These programs should highlight the signs and symptoms of alcohol dependence and abuse, which could result in more patients getting screened and treated.

U.S. Alcohol Dependence and Abuse Pharmaceuticals: Therapeutic Overview and Patient Outlook, is part of the Pharmaceutical & Clinical Diagnostics Growth Partnership Service program, which also includes research in the following markets: U.S. Smoking Cessation Market, U.S. Multiple Sclerosis Market, and U.S. Asthma/COPD Market. All research services included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and industry trends that have been evaluated following extensive interviews with market participants. Interviews with the press are available.

Frost & Sullivan, the Global Growth Consulting Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company's Growth Partnership Services, Growth Consulting and Career Best Practices empower clients to create a growth focused culture that generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents. For more information about Frost & Sullivan's Growth Partnerships, visit http://www.frost.com.