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Risk of hospitalisation and death related to baclofen for alcohol use disorders: Comparison with nalmefene, acamprosate, and naltrexone in a cohort study of 165 334 patients between 2009 and 2015 in France
Author(s) -
Chaignot Christophe,
Zureik Mahmoud,
Rey Grégoire,
DraySpira Rosemary,
Coste Joël,
Weill Alain
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
pharmacoepidemiology and drug safety
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.023
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1099-1557
pISSN - 1053-8569
DOI - 10.1002/pds.4635
Subject(s) - medicine , acamprosate , baclofen , nalmefene , cohort , hazard ratio , alcohol use disorder , naltrexone , alcohol , opioid , confidence interval , biochemistry , chemistry , receptor , agonist
Purpose Baclofen is widely used off‐label for alcohol use disorders (AUD) in France, despite its uncertain efficacy and safety, particularly at high doses. This study was designed to evaluate the safety of this off‐label use compared to the main approved drugs for AUD (acamprosate, naltrexone, nalmefene). Methods This cohort study from the French Health Insurance claims database included patients, aged 18 to 70 years, with no serious comorbidity (assessed by the Charlson score) initiating baclofen or approved drugs for AUD between 2009 and 2015. The risk of hospitalisation or death associated with baclofen, at variable doses over time (from low doses <30 mg/day to high doses ≥180 mg/day), compared to approved drugs, was evaluated by a Cox model adjusted to sociodemographic and medical characteristics. Results The cohort included 165 334 patients, 47 614 of whom were exposed to baclofen. Patients exposed to baclofen differed from those treated with approved drugs in terms of sociodemographic and medical characteristics (more females, higher socioeconomic status, fewer hospitalisations for alcohol‐related problems), but these differences tended to fade at higher doses of baclofen. Baclofen exposure was significantly associated with hospitalisation (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.13 [95%CI: 1.09‐1.17]) and death (HR = 1.31 [95%CI: 1.08‐1.60]). The risk increased with dose, reaching 1.46 [1.28‐1.65] for hospitalisation and 2.27 [1.27‐4.07] for death at high doses. Similar results were in patients with a history of hospitalisation for alcohol‐related problems. Conclusions This study raises concerns about the safety of baclofen for AUD, particularly at high doses, with higher risks of hospitalisation and mortality than approved drugs.