A GLP-1 pill a day might help keep problem drinking at bay, a recent trial has found.<\/p>\n
Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz conducted a small randomized trial of once-daily oral semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, for people with alcohol use disorder. Compared to those taking a placebo, people on semaglutide reported fewer days of heavy drinking, among other improvements. The findings are the latest to suggest that GLP-1s could have another life as a treatment for addiction.<\/p>\n
\u201cEfforts to repurpose semaglutide for [alcohol use disorder] should continue apace,\u201d the authors wrote in their paper, published<\/a> Wednesday in The American Journal of Psychiatry.<\/p>\n Less heavy drinking <\/p>\n Over the past few years, a growing base of evidence has\u00a0suggested<\/a> that GLP-1s can tamp down people\u2019s unhealthy urges for alcohol, cocaine, and even vices like gambling. Much of this research has come from observational studies that can only show a correlation between GLP-1 use and reduced addiction symptoms. Yet we are now starting to see similar results from more conclusive studies like clinical trials<\/a>.<\/p>\n This latest research involved 50 people diagnosed with moderate to severe alcohol use disorder (AUD). Half were randomized to take a placebo for eight weeks, while the rest took escalating doses of oral semaglutide (3 milligrams a day for 4 weeks, then 7 milligrams a day for 4 weeks).<\/p>\n People on semaglutide didn\u2019t score lower on tests measuring alcohol craving than the placebo group, the researchers found, nor did they have fewer average drinks per day during the study period. However, they did report having fewer heavy drinking days on average, and they consumed less alcohol specifically on days when they drank. They also appeared to have fewer negative consequences related to alcohol use.<\/p>\n The team\u2019s findings support the idea that oral semaglutide can be a viable and more convenient (at least for some) alternative to the injectable version, the researchers say. And even if semaglutide can\u2019t help people completely wean themselves off alcohol, it might still be a valuable harm reduction tool that can curb problem drinking and perhaps more effectively than many other treatments currently available.<\/p>\n \u201cThe primary takeaway from this study is that semaglutide appears to reduce heavy alcohol consumption and increase people\u2019s ability to drink in moderation,\u201d lead author Joseph Schacht, co-director of the Division of Addiction Science, Prevention, and Treatment at the\u00a0 University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, told Gizmodo. \u201cSemaglutide\u2019s effects on alcohol consumption appears larger than other existing FDA-approved medications for alcohol use.\u201d<\/p>\n Questions remaining <\/p>\n This was only a phase II trial with a relatively small sample size, so more data is needed to verify these findings and better understand the potential of GLP-1 therapy as a treatment for substance use disorders.<\/p>\n The researchers only used a relatively low dose of semaglutide in the trial, for instance, one that didn\u2019t lead to any weight loss during the study period. So it\u2019s possible that GLP-1s can be used for alcohol use disorder even in people who aren\u2019t obese or overweight. Higher doses, however, might be more effective for people with these conditions. Another question is whether the effects can last once people stop taking a GLP-1. And interestingly enough, people in the trial also reported using less cannabis as well, suggesting GLP-1s might help curb cannabis use, too.<\/p>\n