Table 2.

Representing anticraving drugs for patients with alcohol drinking disorder

Drug	Drug profile responsible for anticraving properties	Representing human anticraving studies	Other medical use besides anticraving therapy
Naltrexonea	A glutamate agonist, is derived from amino acid, taurine	Weinstein et al (2003)5
Naltrexonea	A main μ and δ (lesser extent) opioid receptor antagonist	Volpicelli et al (1992)11 O'Malley et al (1992)12	Opioid overdose
GHBb	A precursor to GABA, glutamate, and glycine	Addolorato et al (1996)14	Narcolepsy
Nalmefeneb	A μ‐opioid receptor antagonist & κ‐opioid partial agonist	Gual et al (2013)19 van den Brink et al (2014)20
Topiramate	An antagonist for kainate/AMPA, a subtype of the glutamate	Johnson et al (2003)22 Johnson et al (2004)23 Johnson et al (2007)24	Epilepsy Migraine Lennox‐Gastaut syndrome
Gabapentin	A drug to facilitate GABA transmission	Furieri & Nakamura‐Palacio (2007)27 Mason et al (2014)28	Epilepsy Nerve pain
Ondansetron	A 5‐HT3 reuptake inhibitor	Johnson et al (2000)29	Antiemetic for cancer patients receiving chemotherapy
Ifenprodil	A GIRK channel inhibitor	Sagaya et al (2018)35	Dizziness in poststroke patients

The Arab numbers in superscripts denote the reference entries cited in the article.

AMPA receptors, α‐amino‐3‐hydroxy‐5‐methyl‐4‐isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) receptors; GABA, gamma‐aminobutyric acid; GHB, gamma‐hydroxybutyate; GIRK channel, G protein‐activated inwardly rectifying potassium channel.

^aApproved by US Food and Drug Administration for anticraving indication in patients with alcohol use disorder.

^bApproved by European Medicines Agency for anticraving indication in patients with alcohol use disorder.