Lundbeck buoyed as EU gives green light to alcohol addiction drug

Danish pharma company Lundbeck (LUND: DC) is celebrating after winning European Union approval for Selincro (nalmefene), its new drug to treat alcohol addiction. Selincro is dual-acting opioid system modulator which is thought to work by reducing the effects of ingesting alcohol, which in turns leads to a reduction in the urge to drink.

The European Commission has approved Selincro for treating adult patients with alcohol dependence on the back of clinical trials which showed that the drug cut alcohol consumption by around 60% after six months' treatment.

Less than 10% of people dependent on alcohol in the EU are offered treatment with cognitive or behavioural therapy or drugs at the moment, although a Lundbeck-sponsored study reported earlier this month suggested that 11,700 lives would be saved each year if that proportion was increased to 40%.