Speakers - 2026

Title: Addiction and Alcohol Use Disorder, with Patient Case Reviews

Abstract

Addictions such as Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) are a leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality, yet their health impacts are often underrecognised. Clinicians face challenges in diagnosing AUD and in maintaining treatment adherence, which complicates the translation of evidence into practice.

Purpose

This analysis addresses current evidence on AUD pathophysiology and diagnostic approaches.

Case Series

Three anonymised AUD cases will be presented:

• Severe AUD with concurrent drug use.
• Chronic relapsing AUD with medical complications.
• AUD with comorbid mood disorder managed in primary care.

Treatment Focus

The presentation will concisely review effective treatments for AUD, including first-line pharmacotherapies (naltrexone, acamprosate, disulfiram), peer-based and psychological interventions, motivational interviewing, and integrated care models. It will also discuss novel agents under investigation, such as GLP-1 receptor agonists (e.g., semaglutide) and multi-agonist metabolic peptides (e.g., retatrutide), noting that these targets are promising but require careful patient selection and further clinical evaluation before use.

What will the audience take away from this presentation?

• Understand the current scientific view of increased vulnerability to addiction.
• Learn about the current psychopharmacological treatments, treatments still in early clinical trial phases and holistic approaches for AUD.