Zyprexa

The results weren't conclusive because the drug made participants drowsy and was causing them to sleep excessively, which likely accounted for some of the time they weren't gambling, Bernhard said.

However, the research paved the way for future studies, he said.

"When the Eli Lillys of the world are convinced enough about the biochemical nature of this ...

that's a great leap forward," he said.

Nalmefene, a drug made in Finland, is an "opiate blocker" that works by blocking a part of the brain that makes some activities pleasurable.

It has been used on an experimental basis in the United States to treat alcoholics, but has not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration, Grant said.

More than 200 patients in treatment centers across the United States participated in Grant's 2003 study.

Grant said he will be following up with a second study that will involve input from up to 25 different research groups nationwide.

Las Vegas gamblers are among those who will participate in the study.

"We've got to go where the gamblers are," he said.

About 11 double-blind studies involving more than 350 patients have so far been conducted using drugs to treat problem gamblers, Grant said.

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