Alcoholics will be given ketamine-assisted therapy as part of a £2.4 million phase three trial to see if it helps them stay off alcohol for longer.
The trial is being led by the University of Exeter but will be delivered across seven NHS sites across the UK. It comes after a phase two trial showed ketamine and therapy treatment was safe and tolerable for heavy drinkers.
The earlier study found that participants who had ketamine combined with therapy stayed completely sober, representing 86% abstinence in the six month follow-up. The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is funding the research.
