Mavoglurant to reduce alcohol craving and heavy drinking

Influence of Mavoglurant on Alcohol Craving and Drinking in Heavy Drinkers

['FUNDING_OTHER'] · YALE UNIVERSITY · NIH-11127638

This project looks at whether the medication mavoglurant can lower alcohol cravings and drinking in people who drink heavily.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_OTHER']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorYALE UNIVERSITY (nih funded)
Locations1 site (NEW HAVEN, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-11127638 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

If you take part, researchers will give the drug mavoglurant and track people’s alcohol craving and drinking behavior. The team is focusing on brain glutamate pathways that influence reward and habitual drinking to see how the medicine changes those signals. Mavoglurant is an oral drug that targets mGluR5 receptors and has shown safety and tolerability in prior work. The study connects animal and laboratory findings to direct clinical measures in heavy drinkers.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adults who are heavy drinkers or who meet criteria for alcohol use disorder and are willing to try a medication-based research protocol would be the best fit.

Not a fit: People who do not drink heavily, who are unwilling to take an experimental medication, or who have medical reasons that make mavoglurant unsafe may not benefit from this work.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, mavoglurant could help reduce cravings and drinking, making it easier for people to cut back or stay abstinent.

How similar studies have performed: Animal studies with mGluR5 blockers have reduced drinking and some early human data are suggestive, but clear clinical proof in heavy drinkers is still needed.

Where this research is happening

NEW HAVEN, 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.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 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.