Whether differences between the patients mean impacts of the alcohol treatment medications acamprosate and naltrexone vary between Europe and the USA was the issue which motivated this fresh analysis of randomised trials. It confirmed the medications’ efficacy and found no evidence that this differed in European trials versus those conducted elsewhere.

Key points from summary and commentary:
• ‘Do the alcohol treatment medications acamprosate and naltrexone have different impacts in the USA versus Europe?’ was the issue which motivated this fresh analysis of randomised trials.
• Comparison between effects in Europe versus the rest of the world indicated no differences in effects on drinking, but no specific comparison was made with the USA.
• Not included was disulfiram, the second most commonly prescribed anti-alcohol medication in England and one which in the right circumstances has an effectiveness record at least as good as acamprosate and naltrexone.