"you have to let baclofen find your patients"

Amine Benyamina: When reading the Baclofen drug agency's findings, we had the impression that it had not expanded the scope of investigation of this drug. A priori, the experts have pronounced on results that had already prevailed the decision to constrain the prescription of baclofen to 80 grams. We will see if this badysis is confirmed the day we will be auditioned, at least if this day arrives.

What do you blame the National Medicines Agency?

Our complaint is not about the process itself. When the ANSM evaluates baclofen, it is in its role.

It is rather on the fact that the conclusions of the agency do not take into account the importance of the prescription of baclofen in France and the importance stability that had a number of patients who were in high dosages.

On this point, the decision made last summer to reduce to 80 mg / day, compared to 300 mg / day previously, the maximum doses of baclofen prescribed did not sufficiently take into account the reality on the ground. The experts who make up the ANSM committee are too far away

Does baclofen effectively treat patients with alcoholism?

He can look after some. As we have seen, these are clinical realities. And, it's important to point out, we do not need to prescribe high doses to get good returns.

The message I want to convey with my colleagues is, in a way, to be let go. Baclofen must be allowed to find its patients, which is not the case at the moment.

To treat alcohol addiction, our therapeutic arsenal puts many medicines at our disposal which are no more nor less effective than baclofen.

Should the prescription of baclofen be automatic in case of alcohol addiction?

No. Already because baclofen is currently prescribed only when traditional care strategies are ineffective or poorly performing for patients.

Then because to fight against alcoholism, care must always be medico-social.

The Committee considered that Baclofen presented "a potentially increased risk of developing serious adverse events (including deaths, especially in high doses)" and that this could lead "to consider that the benefit-to-benefit ratio risk is negative ". What are the side effects of baclofen that you have seen in your practice?

On the downside, the side effects of baclofen are mainly the reappearance of signs of withdrawal and an increase in the desire to consume alcohol. Be careful, these are psychological side effects, not psychiatric ones.

The side effect of baclofen on the rise is mainly sedation

Is there a more effective way than all the others to combat alcoholism today?

The only means currently available to effectively combat alcoholism is comprehensive care of the patient. That is to say a job of psychology, psychotherapy, a social environment management and the taking of drugs that have the authorization of placing on the market (AMM).

Baclofen or no baclofen, drugs alone can not manage this disease, which is a multifactorial disease.