Harms associated with taking nalmefene for substance use and impulse control disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
- PMID:28850596
- PMCID: PMC5574613
- DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183821
Harms associated with taking nalmefene for substance use and impulse control disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Abstract
Importance: Nalmefene is a newly approved drug for alcohol use disorder, but the risk of harms has not been evaluated from empirical trial evidence.
Objective: To assess the harm of nalmefene administered to individuals diagnosed with substance use or impulse control disorders by performing a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
Data sources: A search was performed in Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, 2014), MEDLINE via PubMed (1950), EMBASE via Ovid (1974), and Clinicaltrials.gov through December 2014.
Study selection: This study included only randomised controlled trials with placebo or active controls that administered nalmefene to adult individuals for treating impulse control and/or substance use disorders. Both published and unpublished randomised controlled trials were eligible for inclusion.
Data extraction and synthesis: Internal validity was assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. Published information from the trials was supplemented by contact between reviewers and industry sponsor. Data were combined using two meta-approaches in fixed effects models; Peto Odds Ratios and risk differences were reported with 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs).
Main outcomes and measures: Number of patients with serious adverse events, including specific psychiatric serious adverse events and withdrawals due to adverse events.
Results: Of 20 potentially relevant studies, 15 randomised controlled trials met the inclusion criteria, and 8 of these provided data enabling the meta-analysis. Overall, serious adverse events did not occur more often in the nalmefene group than in the placebo group (Peto Odds Ratio = 0.97 [95% CI 0.64-1.44]; P = 0.86). Risk of psychiatric serious adverse events was slightly elevated, albeit not at a statistically significant level (Peto Odds Ratio = 1.32 [95% CI 0.62, 2.83]; P = 0.47). Withdrawals due to adverse events were significantly more likely to occur with nalmefene compared to placebo (Peto Odds Ratio = 3.22 [95% CI 2.46-4.22]; P<0.001).
Conclusions and relevance: The three-fold increased risk of withdrawal from treatment on nalmefene due to adverse events is a matter of safety concern. The nature of these adverse events cannot be elucidated further without access to individual patients data.
Conflict of interest statement
Figures



Similar articles
- Systemic pharmacological treatments for chronic plaque psoriasis: a network meta-analysis.Sbidian E, Chaimani A, Garcia-Doval I, Doney L, Dressler C, Hua C, Hughes C, Naldi L, Afach S, Le Cleach L.Sbidian E, et al.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021 Apr 19;4(4):CD011535. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011535.pub4.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2021.Update in:Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022 May 23;5:CD011535. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011535.pub5.PMID:33871055Free PMC article.Updated.
- Celecoxib for osteoarthritis.Puljak L, Marin A, Vrdoljak D, Markotic F, Utrobicic A, Tugwell P.Puljak L, et al.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017 May 22;5(5):CD009865. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD009865.pub2.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017.PMID:28530031Free PMC article.
- Non-contraceptive oestrogen-containing preparations for controlling symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.Naheed B, Kuiper JH, Uthman OA, O'Mahony F, O'Brien PM.Naheed B, et al.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017 Mar 3;3(3):CD010503. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD010503.pub2.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017.PMID:28257559Free PMC article.
- Pregabalin add-on for drug-resistant focal epilepsy.Panebianco M, Bresnahan R, Marson AG.Panebianco M, et al.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022 Mar 29;3(3):CD005612. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD005612.pub5.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022.PMID:35349176Free PMC article.
- Interventions for the treatment of brain radionecrosis after radiotherapy or radiosurgery.Chung C, Bryant A, Brown PD.Chung C, et al.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Jul 9;7(7):CD011492. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011492.pub2.Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018.PMID:29987845Free PMC article.
Cited by
- Pilot study of tolerability and safety of opioid receptor antagonists as novel therapies for chronic pain among persons living with HIV with past year heavy drinking: a randomized controlled trial.Bendiks S, Cheng DM, Blokhina E, Vetrova M, Verbitskaya E, Gnatienko N, Bryant K, Krupitsky E, Samet JH, Tsui JI.Bendiks S, et al.AIDS Care. 2023 Aug;35(8):1191-1200. doi: 10.1080/09540121.2021.1896663. Epub 2021 Mar 7.AIDS Care. 2023.PMID:33682527Free PMC article.Clinical Trial.
- Treatment of opioid overdose: current approaches and recent advances.Britch SC, Walsh SL.Britch SC, et al.Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2022 Jul;239(7):2063-2081. doi: 10.1007/s00213-022-06125-5. Epub 2022 Apr 7.Psychopharmacology (Berl). 2022.PMID:35385972Free PMC article.Review.
- Nalmefene Phase IV Study: A Seeding Flying in the Face of Evidence?Braillon A, Taiebi F, Bernoussi A.Braillon A, et al.Clin Drug Investig. 2018 Apr;38(4):385-386. doi: 10.1007/s40261-018-0628-2.Clin Drug Investig. 2018.PMID:29476330No abstract available.
- Financial reimbursement - irrelevant for GPs' readiness to implement brief intervention to reduce alcohol consumption? A cross-sectional vignette study.Fankhaenel T, Schulz K, Petersen LE, Klement A, Frese T.Fankhaenel T, et al.BMC Fam Pract. 2020 Aug 19;21(1):170. doi: 10.1186/s12875-020-01231-9.BMC Fam Pract. 2020.PMID:32814561Free PMC article.
- Novel Agents for the Pharmacological Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder.Burnette EM, Nieto SJ, Grodin EN, Meredith LR, Hurley B, Miotto K, Gillis AJ, Ray LA.Burnette EM, et al.Drugs. 2022 Feb;82(3):251-274. doi: 10.1007/s40265-021-01670-3. Epub 2022 Feb 8.Drugs. 2022.PMID:35133639Free PMC article.Review.
References
- World Health Organization (2014) ICD-10 Version:2014.
- Grant JE, Potenza MN (2004) Impulse control disorders: clinical characteristics and pharmacological management. Ann Clin Psychiatry 16: 27–34. - PubMed
- Schreiber L, Odlaug BL, Grant JE (2011) Impulse control disorders: updated review of clinical characteristics and pharmacological management. Front Psychiatry 2: 1 doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2011.00001 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
- American Psychiatric Association (2013) Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5. 947 p.
- Ioannidis JP, Evans SJ, Gotzsche PC, O'Neill RT, Altman DG, Schulz K, Moher D (2004) Better reporting of harms in randomized trials: an extension of the CONSORT statement. Ann Intern Med 141: 781–788. - PubMed
Publication types
MeSH terms
Substances
Related information
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Medical
Miscellaneous