IGF::OT::IGFYale UniversityHHSN275201400007IHHSN27500001

Yale University, New Haven CT

Investigators

Abstract

Screening models that are predictive of clinical outcome are essential to a medications development program. There are excellent animal and human laboratory paradigms in the alcohol and substance abuse fields. A preclinical animal model program (HHSN275201400004C and HHSN275201400005C) at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) was developed to screen promising compounds using various animal models and the NIAAA Clinical Investigators Group (NCIG) program was established to conduct proof-of- concept (POC) clinical trials. Lacking in NIAAA?s therapeutic drug development pipeline is a human laboratory program which will serve to screen potential medications prior to conducting the more expensive POC clinical trials. The overarching goal is to develop an integrated program wherein a prospective therapeutic compound would be tested across all three components of the program: pre-clinical animal models, human laboratory testing, and POC clinical trial. Initially, promising compounds would be examined in the preclinical animal model program. Those compounds which demonstrate efficacy in the preclinical assays (assuming safety and tolerability endpoints are met) would be advanced to the human laboratory screening program (HLAB). If the candidate compound demonstrates promising results in one or more of human laboratory assays underlying aspects of the alcohol ependence syndrome, then the prospective compound would be considered for evaluation in the NCIG POC clinical trials. Establishment of a human laboratory program for testing medications is a valuable, needed component in achieving an efficient and predictable medication development program and for the advancement of medications to treat Alcohol Use Disorders (AUDs).