Medications to reduce drinking and protect the liver in people with HIV

Safety and Effectiveness of Medications for Alcohol Use Disorder among HIV+/-

NIH-funded research Yale University · NIH-11172523

This project will test whether existing and candidate medicines can safely help people with HIV drink less and avoid alcohol-related liver harm.

Quick facts

Grant typeP01 program project
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionYale University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (New Haven, United States)
Project IDNIH-11172523 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

I am a person with HIV and this project is looking for medicines that could help people like me cut down on drinking and prevent liver damage. Researchers will analyze large real-world health records and medical data, while also considering common drug interactions and the effects of aging and frailty. They will look at drugs already used for other conditions to see if any can be repurposed to reduce drinking or liver injury, and use genetic and clinical information to find who is most likely to benefit. The work aims to identify promising medication options that HIV clinicians could feel safer prescribing.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are people aging with HIV who currently drink alcohol regularly or have alcohol use disorder and are concerned about liver health.

Not a fit: People who do not drink, those without HIV, or patients with medical reasons that prevent use of the candidate drugs are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the work could expand safe medication options to reduce drinking and lower the risk of alcohol-related liver disease for people with HIV.

How similar studies have performed: Existing FDA-approved medications for alcohol use have shown only modest effects on average, and repurposing medicines for people with HIV is a newer approach that remains unproven.

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.
Conditions Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome VirusAcquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome VirusAlcoholic 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.