The results of a new clinical trial suggest that the popular diabetes and weight-loss drug semaglutide may help reduce people’s cravings for alcohol. This drug, sold as Ozempic and Wegovy, belongs to a family of drugs called GLP-1 agonists, which have been reported to curb the desire for not just food, but also alcohol and cigarettes in some people. While previous studies have shown promising results in animals, clear evidence in humans was lacking until now.
The study involved 48 adults with alcohol use disorder who were not seeking treatment for the condition. Participants were randomly assigned to receive weekly injections of semaglutide or a placebo. At the beginning and end of the nine-week treatment period, participants were offered their preferred alcoholic drink in a lab setting. Those who received semaglutide drank significantly less alcohol compared to those on the placebo. On average, those on semaglutide drank about half as much alcohol as those on the placebo, with the former group consuming a little over 30 grams of alcohol compared to just under 60 grams by the latter group.
In addition to drinking less alcohol overall, participants on semaglutide reported a 30 percent reduction in the number of drinks consumed on the days they drank during the second half of the experiment. This suggests that semaglutide may help lessen the amount of alcohol people consume, even if it doesn’t completely stop them from drinking. While these results are promising, the researchers caution that larger studies over longer periods of time are needed to confirm and clarify the effects of GLP-1 drugs on alcohol use, as well as other harmful substances such as tobacco and opioids.
The findings from this study provide hope for the potential use of semaglutide as a treatment for problematic alcohol use. Alcohol use disorder affects a significant portion of the population, and effective treatment options are limited. By reducing cravings for alcohol and the amount consumed, drugs like semaglutide could help individuals struggling with alcohol use disorder manage their condition more effectively. However, further research is needed to fully understand the impact of GLP-1 agonists on alcohol and substance use disorders in humans.
Overall, the results of this study demonstrate the potential of semaglutide to reduce alcohol consumption in individuals with alcohol use disorder. This could have significant implications for the treatment of alcohol use disorder, as well as for individuals struggling with other substance use disorders. While more research is needed to confirm these findings and understand the underlying mechanisms, the initial results are promising and warrant further investigation into the potential applications of GLP-1 agonists in the treatment of addiction and related disorders.
