Integrated care for alcohol use and alcohol-related liver disease

Integrated therapies for alcohol use and ALD (ITAALD) Network - IU Clinical Center

NIH-funded research Indiana University Indianapolis · NIH-11194526

Combining addiction treatments, counseling, and liver-focused therapies for people with alcohol-related liver disease—especially severe alcohol-associated hepatitis—to help reduce drinking and improve survival.

Quick facts

Grant typeU01 cooperative agreement
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionIndiana University Indianapolis NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Indianapolis, United States)
Project IDNIH-11194526 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

As a patient you would get coordinated care from addiction specialists and liver doctors working together. The network runs clinical trials and programs that may include medicines for alcohol use disorder (for example acamprosate), novel liver-directed drugs such as IL-22, and behavioral therapy like motivational interviewing. Some work focuses on people hospitalized with severe alcohol-associated hepatitis to try to reduce short-term deaths and prevent relapse to drinking. Care is delivered at participating clinical centers with close monitoring and follow-up.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adults with alcohol-associated liver disease, including those with severe alcohol-associated hepatitis or ongoing harmful alcohol use who can attend a participating clinical center, are the intended candidates.

Not a fit: People without alcohol-related liver disease, those not willing to engage in addiction treatment, or patients already needing urgent transplant-level care may not benefit from these interventions.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this integrated approach could reduce deaths and hospitalizations and help people with alcohol-related liver disease stop drinking and stay healthier.

How similar studies have performed: Previous trials have had mixed results—some steroid studies in severe alcohol-associated hepatitis showed unexpected survival signals and acamprosate is thought to be relatively safe in liver disease, but IL-22 and fully integrated AUD/ALD care approaches remain relatively new and need confirmation.

Where this research is happening

Indianapolis, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Alcoholic Liver Diseases
Last reviewed 2026-06-10 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.