For years, individuals using Ozempic and similar medications aimed at managing diabetes and shedding pounds have observed side benefits. These drugs not only diminish their appetite but, for some, also seem to reduce their desire to drink alcohol. Now, a new study confirms that drugs that target the hormone GLP-1 may help in the treatment of alcohol use disorder.
The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry on Feb 12., involved 48 people with alcohol use disorder (AUD). All the people involved in the study were not receiving treatment for AUD before the study, and most were overweight.
Participants were divided into two groups, and weekly injections were administered to one group while the other group received a placebo. The groups were studied for the amount of alcohol participants drank and how often they drank over a span of 2.5 months.
The study notably permitted participants to consume beverages in a familiar and comfortable environment. The lab was designed to resemble a living room where participants could watch television, unwind, and enjoy their drink of choice for two hours.
Participants came in weekly to receive their injections and answer questions about their alcohol consumption in the week prior. Researchers documented how much alcohol participants drank before and after the study.
The scientists found that semaglutide, also known as Ozempic of Wegovy, reduced alcohol cravings and helped the medicated participants drink 40% less than those on placebo. While the participants taking the drugs did not drink on fewer days than the control group, the amount of alcohol they consumed was lesser.
Novo Nordisk sells semaglutide under the brand names Ozempic for type 2 diabetes and Wegovy for obesity. Semaglutide belongs to a class of medications called GLP-1 receptor agonists, which work by imitating the hormone GLP-1 to control insulin, slow stomach emptying, and decrease hunger.
Dr. Lorenzo Leggio, a physician-scientist at the National Institutes of Health who wasn’t involved in the study, told CNN that the drugs work in both the gut and the brain, and this symbiosis may be why they are effective with AUD. Leggio previously studied semaglutide’s ability to reduce alcohol drinking in animals.
“More research is needed to understand the mechanism(s) of action of these medications in AUD. Nonetheless, the work done now suggests that mechanisms may include their effect in reducing alcohol craving and in reducing the rewarding effects of alcohol.”
Lead researcher of the study, Christian Hendershot, professor of population and public health science and director of clinical research at the USC Institute for Addiction Science, told TIME magazine that the drug may work by diminishing the reward for drinking in the brain, similar to how taking semaglutide for weight loss curbs cravings for food.
“These medications don’t make people stop eating altogether, but reduce the urge to eat, so there is appetite reduction and satiety. I think this is very much analogous.”
Hendershot shared that he was surprised by semaglutide’s significant impact on AUD in participants, noting that while he anticipated some effect, the results exceeded his expectations. Semaglutide and similar drugs targeting the GLP-1 hormone influence the brain’s reward and satiety centers.
Earlier research, primarily conducted on animals, indicated that these medications might reduce addiction and cravings for various substances, including alcohol. Anecdotal evidence from individuals using semaglutide for diabetes management or weight loss also suggested that the medication reduced the urge to consume alcohol.
Interestingly, the study participants were administered the two lowest doses of semaglutide. The dosage commonly administered for weight loss is approximately four times higher. “The magnitude of the effect, specifically at these doses, was somewhat surprising,” Hendershot said.
The scale of the reduction in cravings and the amount of alcohol consumed participants reported mirrors the effect of prescription drugs currently approved for the treatment of AUD.
The FDA has approved three medications for AUD to date—naltrexone, disulfiram, and acamprosate. However, the study reports that these medications are not widely known or used. Only 2% of people who struggle with AUD use them.
GLP-1 medications may hold a significant advantage due to their widespread popularity and recognition among the general public and within the medical community.
Drugs that target the hormone GLP-1 have also been shown to lower the risk of heart disease and sleep apnea. Additionally, studies show they may improve insulin sensitivity, reduce systemic inflammation, and lower blood pressure.
Despite the promising findings from his research, Hendershot cautions that it is premature to prescribe GLP-1 drugs for AUD outside of their approved indications.
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“We know people are prescribing GLP-1 receptor agonists off-label for this purpose, but it’s best to recommend instead that they use FDA-approved treatments that are already available. We really would need a handful of larger clinical trials to address that question, and we are still pretty far out from that level of conclusiveness.”
Uncertainties persist regarding the optimal dosage of these medications for the potential treatment of alcohol addiction. Additionally, there is speculation about whether drugs that affect multiple hormones associated with weight loss, such as tirzepatide—marketed as Mounjaro and Zepbound—might yield even more favorable outcomes. Hendershot’s team is currently investigating these questions.
“Right now, this data points to a fairly consistent picture across animal studies, and now early human findings, of GLP-1’s effect on alcohol-use disorder. The next task is to generate more human data from larger clinical trials.”
According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, AUD affects almost 30 million people in the US. It is diagnosed based on behavioral patterns that lead to significant distress or impairment rather than a strict number of drinks per week. However, heavy drinking (more than 14 drinks per week for men or more than 7 for women) increases the risk of developing AUD, especially if accompanied by symptoms like cravings, loss of control, consequences in professional and personal life, or withdrawal.
Additionally, there is growing evidence that reducing alcohol intake or abstaining from it can improve health; last month, former US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy called for updated health warning labels on alcoholic beverages and issued an advisory warning that alcohol increases the risk of at least seven types of cancer.
A subset of participants who smoked had their cigarette usage evaluated by Hendershot and his colleagues as well. Despite the small sample size (only 13 out of 48 individuals reported smoking cigarettes), the study discovered that semaglutide users tended to smoke fewer cigarettes daily, which was consistent with reports from patients who were prescribed the medication to lose weight.
“Should GLP-1 receptor agonists prove efficacious for both alcohol reduction and smoking cessation, potential health implications could be substantial.”
Moumita Basuroychowdhury is a Contributing Reporter at The National Digest. After earning an economics degree at Cornell University, she moved to NYC to pursue her MFA in creative writing. She enjoys reporting on science, business and culture news. You can reach her at moumita.b@thenationaldigest.com.
