New Alcohol Use Disorder Drug Works Through the Gut

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The New Alcohol Use Disorder Research

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus have developed an experimental drug called Nezavist. In lab animals, Nazavist reduced the sharp rise in drinking that often follows a period of alcohol withdrawal due to relapse.

Dr. Paula Hoffman, a professor emerita of pharmacology, relayed the drug didn’t produce complete abstinence but brought alcohol consumption back toward baseline. That pattern suggests it could help interrupt the cycle of escalating use after withdrawal.

The drug has cleared animal safety studies and is now in Phase 1 trials in healthy volunteers.

Targeting the Gut May Help Prevent Relapse

Most current medications for alcohol use disorder act directly on the brain. Nezavist appears to work differently. In animal studies, it barely entered the bloodstream and didn’t reach the brain. Instead, it engaged the intestine and activated the vagus nerve, the body’s main gut-to-brain communication pathway that helps regulate inflammation.

Recent research suggests that heavy drinking and withdrawal can raise inflammation in the brain, which is linked to anxiety, depression, and a greater vulnerability to relapse. By switching on normal signals that lower that inflammation, Nazavist may ease the drive to drink during early abstinence. Since it doesn’t target the brain’s reward system the way some newer treatments do, the team hopes it may avoid certain mood-related side effects, though that still has to be confirmed in people.

News for People in Recovery

It helps to keep expectations realistic. Nezavist is experimental, still being tested for basic safety, and likely years away from a pharmacy shelf, if it reaches one at all. It’s not a substitute for the tools that already help people manage alcohol addiction today.

Approved medications such as naltrexone and acamprosate, along with counseling and peer support, remain proven starting points. Even so, research like this is encouraging because it widens the menu of options, and recovery is rarely one-size-fits-all.

AA Meetings & Daily Habits Support Sobriety

Medication is only one piece of staying sober. For many people, daily routines and community do the heavy lifting. Alcoholics Anonymous offers free peer support through its 12-step program, where members share experience and lean on one another between meetings. AA describes the steps as a path of honest self-examination and mutual support, and you don’t have to hold any particular belief to take part.

Meetings come in many formats, including beginner, online, discussion, and Big Book groups.

Simple habits help, too. Building a sober routine, tracking milestones, and staying connected all make early recovery steadier. The free Sober App can help you log sober days and see the savings, sleep, and energy that add up over time.

Finding AA Meetings and Recovery Support

Whether you’re newly sober or years into recovery, support is easy to find. You can search AA meetings in our directory for chapters anywhere in the USA. Or, dial 800-948-8417 Sponsored to speak with an expert for meeting information and recovery resources.

By Eric Owens

By Peter Lee

Eric Owens is a writer and editor with a bachelor degree in Philosophy, which has helped him with presenting complex information in a simple way that all audiences can understand. He specializes in the mental health and addiction recovery space. He’s also passionate about the environment and has extensive experience in creating content related to sustainability issues

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Peter W.Y. Lee is a writer and historian of American history. His primary focus is on the Cold War era. His academic work examines the relationship between youth and popular culture and its impact on U.S. society during the twentieth century.