Acamprosate was originally synthesized in the laboratories of the French pharmaceutical company Meram and was first approved for clinical use in France in 1987. It is currently licensed for use in 25 countries, including Japan. There have been several meta-analyses of studies that have examined the clinical effectiveness of acamprosate.1–5 In patients with alcohol dependency, the drug inhibits elevated glutamatergic neurotransmission, suppressing alcohol craving; however, the exact mechanism of action has not been completely identified.8,10