Pioglitazone for the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder

Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is common among Veterans but medication treatment is used infrequently and the impact of these treatments are small to moderate at best. Pioglitazone, a medication FDA approved for diabetes, has been shown in pre-clinical studies to reduce alcohol. The proposed study will test the efficacy of pioglitazone to reduce alcohol use in a double-blind placebo controlled trial. Investigators plan to compare pioglitazone to placebo in 200 Veterans who have an AUD and who are currently drinking alcohol at two Veterans Affairs Health Care Centers. The primary hypothesis is that Veterans with an AUD who are currently drinking alcohol will have a greater reduction in alcohol use following treatment with pioglitazone compared to those treated with placebo.