Medications development for alcohol use disorders.

There are substantial differences between the objectives and processes of normal grant-funded research and those of commercial pharmaceutical development. These differences are explained with respect to clinical trials design in alcohol addiction, strategies for maximizing the success of controlled trials in drug development in this area, and avoidance of problems in the conducting of clinical trials subject to audit. Also discussed are possible new pharmacological interventions in alcohol use disorders and the need to recognize the usefulness of medications across the whole range of clinical presentations.