Summary
Prazosin has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Alcohol Use Disorder would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Alcohol Use Disorder. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 3 registered trials linking Prazosin to Alcohol Use Disorder: 3 have completed. The most advanced is Phase 2 (NCT00762710). It plans or enrolled 92 participants. Registration activity spans 2008 to 2015. The literature layer holds 1 publication for this pair: 1 clinical trial publication. The dated items are from 2018. These are primary trial reports rather than syntheses, so results have not yet been pooled or graded independently.
The RepurpOS disease-intelligence file for Alcohol Abuse ranks 375 candidate therapeutics from Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and PubMed; only a minority carry direct clinical evidence, and this page covers one of those. Spontaneous remission context recorded for the condition: 30-40% of people with AUD achieve sustained abstinence without formal treatment at 1 year (natural recovery); but functional impairment, liver damage, and mortality risk accumulate; relapse in 50-60% within 1 year even after treatment.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | A · Strong |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 32.5 (trials 10.5, literature 2.0, tier 15, approved bonus 5.0) |
| Registered trials | 3 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 3 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 1 (1 clinical trial publication) |
| Agent type | Drug (Small molecule) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Approved |
| Mechanism / class | Not recorded |
| Data sources | Open Targets, ChEMBL |
| Linked via biomarker / target | ACHE |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT01518972 | Prazosin for Alcohol Dependence and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder 2009 | completed | Phase 2 | 30 |
| NCT00762710 | Study of the Medication Prazosin for Alcohol Dependence 2008 | completed | Phase 2 | 92 |
| NCT02322047 | Prazosin and Naltrexone (PaN) Study for Veterans With Alcohol Use Disorders 2015 | completed | Phase 2 | 31 |
Published literature
- Clinical trial publication Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial of Prazosin for Alcohol Use DisorderSimpson TL, Saxon AJ, Stappenbeck C et al. · The American journal of psychiatry · 2018 · PMID 30153753
Mechanism and notes
No mechanism of action is recorded for this pair in the source databases.
OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in Open Targets and ChEMBL, in this case via the biomarker or target ACHE. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Frequently asked questions
Is Prazosin approved for Alcohol Use Disorder?
Prazosin has reached the approved stage (maximum clinical phase 4) for at least one indication, so its use in Alcohol Use Disorder would be drug repurposing rather than first-in-human development. This does not mean it is approved for Alcohol Use Disorder. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Prazosin in clinical trials for Alcohol Use Disorder?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 3 registered trials linking Prazosin to Alcohol Use Disorder: 3 have completed. The most advanced is Phase 2 (NCT00762710). It plans or enrolled 92 participants. Registration activity spans 2008 to 2015.
What does the evidence show for Prazosin in Alcohol Use Disorder?
Prazosin has 3 completed trials and 1 linked publication for Alcohol Use Disorder. Completed trials may or may not have posted results; follow the NCT links to check. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is A (Strong), derived from the strength of the disease association recorded in Open Targets and ChEMBL, in this case via the biomarker or target ACHE. The tier describes how well the drug-disease link is documented, not how well the drug works.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-07-05. Page built 2026-10-07.