Alcohol use disorders are some of the most prevalent mental disorders worldwide affecting 8.6% of men and 1.7% of women and with a lifetime prevalence of around 30%. Alcohol use disorders are associated with markedly reduced life expectancy, a higher risk for concomitant chronic diseases and injuries as well as social deprivation including family disruption, unemployment and criminal convictions.

The treatment goal for most patients with alcohol use disorders is abstinence, and the way to achieve this often includes a combination of counselling (including motivational interviewing and encouraging patients to take responsibility for change) and medication. To date, only few drugs such as disulfiram, acamprosate, nalmefene, and naltrexone have been approved as treatment of alcohol use disorders. However, the effect of the drugs varies and a recent population-based study found that disulfiram did not change risk of hospitalization for alcohol use disorder, and patients using acamprosate actually have a higher risk of hospitalization for an alcohol use disorder. Only naltrexone seems to be effective in reducing heavy drinking, but less efficacious in promoting abstinence.