Novel pharmacotherapeutic approaches for the treatment of drug addiction and craving.

Pharmacological agents have shown limited efficacy and consistency in the treatment of drug addiction. Hence, the development of new medications with improved long-term efficacy and reduced side effects should be given a high priority given the costs to society associated with drug abuse and drug-related pathologies. Neurochemical systems can be significantly altered by repeated exposure to drugs of abuse. These long-term molecular and neurochemical changes might, in turn, explain the core features of addiction--the compulsive seeking and taking of the drug--as well as the risk of relapse.