Acamprosate 333mg gastro-resistant tablets
Requires a prescription from a doctor or prescriber
Official documents, adverse reaction reporting, and safety monitoring
Report a side effect
Submit a Yellow Card report to the MHRA
Official medicine documents
Safety monitoring data
Yellow Card reports
The MHRA Yellow Card scheme collects reports of suspected side effects from healthcare professionals and patients. View the Drug Analysis Profile (iDAP) for real-world adverse reaction data.
View Drug Analysis Profile
Suspected adverse reactions reported for Acamprosate
Browse all iDAP reports
Interactive Drug Analysis Profiles for all medicines
Report a side effect
Submit a Yellow Card report to the MHRA
Data from the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. A reported reaction does not necessarily mean the medicine caused it. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
EudraVigilance
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) collects suspected adverse reaction reports from across the EU/EEA through the EudraVigilance system. Search for safety data on this medicine.
View EudraVigilance report
Suspected adverse reactions reported for Acamprosate
About EudraVigilance
Learn about EU pharmacovigilance and safety monitoring
EudraVigilance data is published by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). A suspected adverse reaction is not necessarily caused by the medicine.
20 branded products available
MHRA licensed products
View all licensed products for Acamprosate on the MHRA register
Campral EC 333mg tablets
Campral EC 333mg tablets
Acamprosate 333mg gastro-resistant tablets
Acamprosate 333mg gastro-resistant tablets
Acamprosate 333mg gastro-resistant tablets
Acamprosate 333mg gastro-resistant tablets
Acamprosate 333mg gastro-resistant tablets
Acamprosate 333mg gastro-resistant tablets
Acamprosate 333mg gastro-resistant tablets
Acamprosate 333mg gastro-resistant tablets
This is the NHS Drug Tariff indicative price used for reimbursement purposes. It may not reflect the price paid by patients or pharmacies.
View full Drug TariffSource: NHS Drug Tariff via NHSBSA. Derived from dm+d VMPP (Virtual Medicinal Product Pack) pricing data. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
WHO defined daily dose (DDD)
2 gram
Not a recommended dose. The DDD is the assumed average maintenance dose per day for a drug used for its main indication in adults. It is a statistical measure used for research and comparison purposes only.
Source: WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology, distributed via the NHS dm+d supplementary BNF/ATC mapping files (NHSBSA). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Therapeutically similar medicines
Similarity is based on WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification and on a factual NHS dm+d therapeutic-grouping code prefix. Source data: NHS dm+d via TRUD (OGL v3.0), WHO ATC/DDD Index.
NHS prescribing volume and spending trends
Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
NICE clinical guidance(2)
Alcohol-use disorders: diagnosis, assessment and management of harmful drinking (high-risk drinking) and alcohol dependence (CG115)
Alcohol-use disorders: diagnosis and management (QS11)
Source: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Check stock at pharmacies and supply information
Pharmacy stock checkers
Search for this medicine at major UK pharmacy chains. These links open the retailer's own website — results depend on their current online catalogue.
Supply & safety information
Official UK regulator monitoring and safety alerts
Pharmacy links redirect to the retailer's own search and do not represent real-time stock levels. Shortage and safety information sourced from MHRA drug safety updates (gov.uk, Crown Copyright under OGL v3.0).
Codes for healthcare professionals and prescribing systems
These codes are used by healthcare IT systems and prescribers to identify this medicine.
NHS UK identifiers
Browse tools
SNOMED CT and dm+d codes from NHS TRUD (Technology Reference data Update Distribution), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. BNF code shown is the factual mapping value distributed by NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) in the dm+d supplementary file under OGL v3.0; it is not affiliated with, nor licensed from, the publishers of the British National Formulary. ATC codes from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology (whocc.no).
Active and completed clinical studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Data accessed via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Trial information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Academic studies and reviews for this medicine's active substance
Showing the 50 most relevant studies.
Reviews & meta-analyses: 19 · Randomised trials: 11 · 1990–2025
Showing the 50 most relevant studies, sorted by most relevant.
Bouza Carmen, Angeles Magro, Muñoz Ana, et al.
Addiction, 2004
- Acamprosate
- Alcohol Deterrents
- Alcoholism
Clément Palpacuer, Renan Duprez, Alexandre Huneau, et al.
Addiction, 2017
- Network Meta-Analysis
- Topiramate
- Acamprosate
H. Kranzler, J. V. Kirk
Alcoholism, clinical and experimental research, 2001
- Acamprosate
- Alcohol Deterrents
- Alcoholism
Karl Mann, Philippe Lehert, Marsha Y. Morgan
Alcoholism Clinical and Experimental Research, 2004
- Temperance
- Acamprosate
- Alcoholism
Susanne Rösner, Stefan Leucht, Philippe Lehert, et al.
Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2007
- Acamprosate
- Alcohol Deterrents
- Alcohol Drinking
François Paillé, J Guelfi, Alan C. Perkins, et al.
Alcohol and Alcoholism, 1995
- Acamprosate
- Alcoholism
- Combined Modality Therapy
Kirsten C. Morley, Maree Teesson, Sophie Reid, et al.
Addiction, 2006
- Acamprosate
- Alcohol Deterrents
- Anxiety
B. Mason, P. Lehert
Alcoholism, Clinical and Experimental Research, 2011
- Sex Characteristics
- Acamprosate
- Alcohol Deterrents
Э. Лааксонен, Anja Koski‐Jännes, Mikko Salaspuro, et al.
Alcohol and Alcoholism, 2007
- Acamprosate
- Alcoholism
- Disulfiram
Natalya C. Maisel, Janet C. Blodgett, Paula Wilbourne, et al.
Addiction, 2012
- Acamprosate
- Alcohol Deterrents
- Ethanol
Sources: aggregated from Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI), OpenAlex, Crossref, PubMed and other open scholarly databases. Retracted articles are excluded. Study information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Pharmacology and chemical data from DrugBank
Key facts
Drug status
Approved
Major interactions
None known
Half-life
3 hour
Mechanism
The mechanism of action of acamprosate for the maintenance of alcohol abstinence has not been established.
Food interactions
1 warning
Human targets
3 targets
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
11%
[A229023][A229033]
The absolute bioavailability of acamprosate after oral administration is about 11%.…
Half-life
3 hour
[A229033]…
Protein binding
[A229033]
Prescribing information mentions that acamprosate protein binding is negligible.
[L31738]
Volume of distribution
20L
[A229033]…
Metabolism
[A229033][L31738]
Elimination
[A229033]…
Clearance
333mg
[A229023][A229033]…
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Acamprosate, also known by the brand name Campral, is a drug used for the maintenance of alcohol abstinence. It is a structural analogue of the neurotransmitter γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA).[L31758] Acamprosate is the first medication specifically formulated for the maintenance of alcohol abstinence in ethanol-dependent patients after alcohol detoxification[A997], unlike [naltrexone] and [disulfiram]. It was first approved by the FDA in 2004 and initially marketed by Forest Laboratories.[L31783]
[L31738]
Known interactions with other medications. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 50 of 105 interactions
[L31813]
In reported cases of acute overdosage with acamprosate (doses of up to 56 grams of acamprosate calcium) diarrhea was the only reported symptom attributable to acamprosate. In the case of an overdose, supportive and symptomatic treatment is recommended.
[L31738]
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
[A229023][A229033]
The absolute bioavailability of acamprosate after oral administration is about 11%. The effect of food absorption is clinically insignificant and no adjustment of the dose is necessary with regard to meals.
[L31738]
After repeated oral doses of 666 mg 3 times a day, steady-state concentrations are achieved within 5 to 7 days, with plasma concentration ranging between 370 to 650 micrograms/L.
[A229033]
[A229033]
After two oral doses of acamprosate 333mg, the terminal half-life ranges between 20 - 33 hours.
[L31738]
[A229033]
Prescribing information mentions that acamprosate protein binding is negligible.
[L31738]
[A229033]
Following intravenous administration, the volume of distribution is about 72-109 L (an estimated 1 L/kg).
[L31738]
[A229033][L31738]
[A229033]
The kidneys are primarily responsible for the elimination of acamprosate.
[L31738]
[A229023][A229033]
An acamprosate dose of 333mg, three times daily, is recommended for moderate renal impairment (creatinine clearance of 30-50 mL/min).
[L31738]
Proteins and enzymes this drug interacts with in the body
GluN3B subunit also binds D-serine and, in the absence of glycine, activates glycinergic receptor complexes, but with lower efficacy than glycine (By similarity). Each GluN3 subunit confers differential attributes to channel properties, including activation, deactivation and desensitization kinetics, pH sensitivity, Ca2(+) permeability, and binding to allosteric modulators (By similarity)
Plays an important role in the regulation of synaptic plasticity and the modulation of the neural network activity
PMID:15617512 PMID:18165688 PMID:22660477 PMID:24305054 PMID:36103875 PMID:9872316 PMID:9872744
Within the heterodimeric GABA receptor, only GABBR1 seems to bind agonists, while GABBR2 mediates coupling to G proteins .
PMID:18165688
Ligand binding causes a conformation change that triggers signaling via guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G proteins) and modulates the activity of down-stream effectors, such as adenylate cyclase .
PMID:10075644 PMID:10773016 PMID:10906333 PMID:24305054 PMID:9872744
Signaling inhibits adenylate cyclase, stimulates phospholipase A2, activates potassium channels, inactivates voltage-dependent calcium-channels and modulates inositol phospholipid hydrolysis .
PMID:10075644
Calcium is required for high affinity binding to GABA (By similarity). Plays a critical role in the fine-tuning of inhibitory synaptic transmission .
PMID:9844003
Pre-synaptic GABA receptor inhibits neurotransmitter release by down-regulating high-voltage activated calcium channels, whereas postsynaptic GABA receptor decreases neuronal excitability by activating a prominent inwardly rectifying potassium (Kir) conductance that underlies the late inhibitory postsynaptic potentials .
PMID:10075644 PMID:22660477 PMID:9844003 PMID:9872316 PMID:9872744
Not only implicated in synaptic inhibition but also in hippocampal long-term potentiation, slow wave sleep, muscle relaxation and antinociception (Probable). Activated by (-)-baclofen, cgp27492 and blocked by phaclofen PMID:24305054 PMID:9844003 PMID:9872316
Proteins that transport this drug across cell membranes
PMID:11669456 PMID:11907186 PMID:14675047 PMID:22108572 PMID:23832370 PMID:28534121 PMID:9950961
Mediates the uptake of OA across the basolateral side of proximal tubule epithelial cells, thereby contributing to the renal elimination of endogenous OA from the systemic circulation into the urine .
PMID:9887087
Functions as a biopterin transporters involved in the uptake and the secretion of coenzymes tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4), dihydrobiopterin (BH2) and sepiapterin to urine, thereby determining baseline levels of blood biopterins .
PMID:28534121
Transports prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and prostaglandin F2-alpha (PGF2-alpha) and may contribute to their renal excretion .
PMID:11907186
Also mediates the uptake of cyclic nucleotides such as cAMP and cGMP .
PMID:26377792
Involved in the transport of neuroactive tryptophan metabolites kynurenate (KYNA) and xanthurenate (XA) and may contribute to their secretion from the brain .
PMID:22108572 PMID:23832370
May transport glutamate .
PMID:26377792
Also involved in the disposition of uremic toxins and potentially toxic xenobiotics by the renal organic anion secretory pathway, helping reduce their undesired toxicological effects on the body .
PMID:11669456 PMID:14675047
Uremic toxins include the indoxyl sulfate (IS), hippurate/N-benzoylglycine (HA), indole acetate (IA), 3-carboxy-4- methyl-5-propyl-2-furanpropionate (CMPF) and urate .
PMID:14675047 PMID:26377792
Xenobiotics include the mycotoxin ochratoxin (OTA) .
PMID:11669456
May also contribute to the transport of organic compounds in testes across the blood-testis-barrier PMID:35307651
ATC N07BB03
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Show
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Linked compound data from DrugBank Open Data (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Acamprosate
Additional database identifiers
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
20124
ChemSpider
64300
ZINC
ZINC000001554588
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4584
GenAtlas
GRIN1
GeneCards
GRIN1
GenBank Gene Database
D13515
GenBank Protein Database
219920
Guide to Pharmacology
455
UniProt Accession
NMDZ1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4585
GenAtlas
GRIN2A
GeneCards
GRIN2A
GenBank Gene Database
U09002
GenBank Protein Database
558749
Guide to Pharmacology
456
UniProt Accession
NMDE1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4586
GenAtlas
GRIN2B
GeneCards
GRIN2B
GenBank Gene Database
U90278
GenBank Protein Database
1899202
Guide to Pharmacology
457
UniProt Accession
NMDE2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4587
GenAtlas
GRIN2C
GeneCards
GRIN2C
GenBank Gene Database
L76224
GenBank Protein Database
1196449
Guide to Pharmacology
458
UniProt Accession
NMDE3_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4588
GenAtlas
GRIN2D
GeneCards
GRIN2D
GenBank Gene Database
U77783
GenBank Protein Database
2444026
UniProt Accession
NMDE4_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:16767
GenAtlas
GRIN3A
GeneCards
GRIN3A
GenBank Gene Database
AJ416950
GenBank Protein Database
20372905
UniProt Accession
NMD3A_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:16768
GenAtlas
GRIN3B
GeneCards
GRIN3B
GenBank Gene Database
AC004528
GenBank Protein Database
3025446
UniProt Accession
NMD3B_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4597
GenAtlas
GRM5
GeneCards
GRM5
GenBank Gene Database
D28538
GenBank Protein Database
1408052
Guide to Pharmacology
293
UniProt Accession
GRM5_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4070
GenAtlas
GABBR1
GeneCards
GABBR1
GenBank Gene Database
AJ225028
GenBank Protein Database
3892594
Guide to Pharmacology
240
UniProt Accession
GABR1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:10970
GenAtlas
hROAT1
GeneCards
SLC22A6
GenBank Gene Database
AF057039
GenBank Protein Database
3831566
Guide to Pharmacology
1025
UniProt Accession
S22A6_HUMAN
DrugBank citations
If you use DrugBank data in your research, please cite the following publications:
Show earlier publications
Structured knowledge from the free knowledge base
ATC classifications (Wikidata)
Linked open data from Wikidata (Q337668), a free and open knowledge base operated by the Wikimedia Foundation. Data is available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication.