Yale Researchers developing an experimental drug that could help people stay sober
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Yale University researchers are testing a drug that can stop alcohol from making people drunk. They believe iomazenil, taken before consuming alcohol, might decrease some of alcohol’s effects on the brain and thinking ability of a drinker.
The results of a pilot study showed that the effects of alcohol on those people who took iomazenil before consuming alcohol caused them to stay sober for long.
Researchers hope to develop a “stay-sober” pill and they believe that iomazenil could help in developing that pill, according to a Daily Telegraph report.
Yale researcher Deepak D’Souza told the Daily Telegraph, “A medication that has the potential to block alcohol actions in the central nervous system could act as a unique medication in the treatment of alcohol intoxication and alcoholism”. He added, “Alcohol is abused commonly but there is no remedy for alcohol intoxication. This project is looking at the substance iomazenil and its effect on alcohol intoxication and alcohol’s effects on driving an automobile” if the driver ingests the pill before drinking.
Researchers are trying to find a way to decrease some amount of damage done to the body organs by alcohol especially to the liver.