Summary: A new research suggests that semaglutide, a substance commonly used for diabetes and obesity, may also help lower alcohol use. In adults with alcohol use disorder, researchers discovered that semaglutide injections regular reduced drinking cravings, drinking, and excessive drinking.
In a managed laboratory environment, semaglutide recipients reported reduced cravings and reduced consumption of alcohol in comparison to those receiving a placebo. The drug’s effects on eating behavior had the potential to outweigh those of the most recently approved alcohol use disorder therapies.
Secondly, a small group of smokers showed reduced smoke usage while on semaglutide. These findings emphasize the ability of the drug to treat alcohol addiction, but more studies are required to ensure long-term efficacy and recommended dosage.
Essential Information
- Alcohol Reduction: Semaglutide users reported fewer large having days and fewer drank less alcohol.
- Craving Control: The medicine substantially reduced drinking desires compared to placebo.
- Smoking Cessation Link: Some individuals also showed decreased smoke usage, suggesting broader obsession care possible.
Origin: UNC Health Care
The movie drug semaglutide, better known as Ozempic for diabetes and Wegovy for obesity, may also help people cut down on their alcohol consumption, according to new studies led by , Christian Hendershot, PhD, first author of the study, teacher of Population and Public Health Sciences and director of Clinical Research at USC Institute for Addiction Science, and , Klara Klein, MD, PhD, top author, assistant professor at the Department of Medicine’s Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the UNC School of Medicine.
The findings, published in , JAMA Psychiatry, showed that weekly injections of semaglutide – compared with placebo injections – reduced alcohol craving, drinking quantity and the frequency of heavy drinking days in adults with symptoms of alcohol use disorder.
Results also revealed that those in the semaglutide group ate less alcohol in the lab, as measured by the grams of alcohol consumed and breath alcohol concentration.
The discovery could help address an important treatment gap: An estimated 178, 000 U. S. deaths per year can be attributed to alcohol, which is linked to liver disease, cardiovascular disease and is a known cause of cancer, as noted recently by the , U. S. Surgeon General.
A sizable portion of American adults have at least once taken the alcohol abuse disorder test, but only a small percentage of them seek or receive treatment.
The three medications that the FDA is currently using to treat alcohol use disorders are underused. The popularity of the Ozempic and other GLP-1 receptor antagonists may increase the likelihood of these treatments for alcohol use disorders being widely used.
The Clinical Trial
For the trial, researchers recruited 48 adults with , alcohol use disorder , who weren’t actively seeking treatment. Alcohol use disorder is defined by a range of possible symptoms, including the inability to stop or control drinking despite its negative effects.
Researchers gave participants the option to delay drinking if they wanted, and invited them to do so for a two-hour period in a comfortable lab setting one week prior to the first injection. Researchers documented delays and the amount of alcohol consumed.
Participants were then randomly assigned to receive nine weeks of Ozempic or a placebo injections, during which time their weekly drinking patterns were also evaluated. Afterward, participants and researchers returned to the drinking lab to repeat the process.
Results demonstrated that those in the semaglutide group ate less alcohol in the laboratory, as measured by grams of alcohol consumed and breath alcohol concentration.
In contrast to placebo injections, clinical studies also found that semaglutide reduced weekly alcohol cravings, reduced average drinking on days, and increased heavy drinking days ‘ reductions.
A significant finding was that semaglutide’s effects on a number of drinking outcomes appeared to be potentially greater than is frequently seen in comparable studies with existing AUD medications, despite semaglutide being only given at the lowest clinical doses.
Compared to those in the placebo group, those treated with semaglutide had significantly greater reductions in average cigarettes per day among a small subgroup of participants who smoked at baseline. Because there are currently no medications approved to help with both alcohol consumption and smoking cessation, this finding is potentially significant.
” The first clinical trial testing the impact of , an older , GLP-1 receptor agonist on alcohol use in humans , was inconclusive”, said Klein.  ,
Anecdotal reports of reduced alcohol use became very common as the prescription for semaglutide and other similar medications increased, which suggested the potential of these more potent therapies for the treatment of alcohol use disorders.
The mechanisms by which GLP-1 receptor agonists reduce alcohol cravings need to be studied. According to Dr. Klein, preclinical studies indicate that these effects are likely mediated in the brain by changes in reward processing.  ,
Although fascinating, these data are preliminary and need to be updated. The findings call for more studies to be conducted to determine the optimal dosage and treatment duration, which may be different from the recommendations for people with diabetes and obesity, as the clinical use of this medication increases.
These findings point to the potential of semaglutide and other similar medications for treating alcohol abuse disorders, according to Klein. Although these initial findings are encouraging, further and more extensive studies in broader populations are required to fully understand the safety and effectiveness of those with alcohol use disorder.
About this Study
In addition to Hendershot and Klein, other authors of the study are Michael Bremmer, Michael Paladino, Georgios Kostantinis, Thomas Gilmore, Neil Sullivan, Amanda Tow and Robyn Jordan, all of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Sarah S. Dermody of Toronto Metropolitan University, Mark Prince of Keck School of Medicine, Sherry A. McKee of Yale School of Medicine, Paul J. Fletcher of University of Toronto, and Eric D. Claus of Pennsylvania State University.
Funding: The R21AA026931 grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism was used to support this study.
About this news about AUD and neuropharmacology research
Author: Kendall Daniels
Source: UNC Health Care
Contact: Kendall Daniels – UNC Health Care
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
” Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults With Alcohol Use Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial” by Christian Hendershot et al. JAMA Psychiatry
Abstract
Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults With Alcohol Use Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Importance
Preclinical, observational, and pharmacoepidemiology evidence indicates that glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists ( GLP-1RAs ) may reduce alcohol intake. The clinical significance of these findings must be evaluated using randomized trials.
Objective
To evaluate the impact of once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide on AUD in adults.
Design, Setting, and Participants ,  ,
This was a phase 2, double-blind, randomized, parallel-arm trial involving 9 weeks of outpatient treatment. From September 2022 to February 2024, enrollment took place at an academic medical facility in the US. Of 504 potential participants assessed, 48 non–treatment-seeking participants with AUD were randomized.
Intervention
Participants received semaglutide ( 0.25 mg/week for 4 weeks, 0.5 mg/week for 4 weeks, and 1.0 mg for 1 week ) or placebo at weekly clinic visits.
Main Outcomes and Measures ,  ,
The primary outcome was laboratory alcohol self-administration, measured at pretreatment and posttreatment ( 0.5 mg/week ). Outpatient visits were used to evaluate both baseline and exploratory outcomes, including potential changes in alcohol consumption and cravings.
Results
Forty-eight participants ( 34]71 % ] female, mean]SD] age, 39.9]10.6] years ) were randomized. Low-dose semaglutide reduced the amount of alcohol consumed during a posttreatment laboratory self-administration task, with evidence of medium to large effect sizes for grams of alcohol consumed ( β, −0.48, 95 % CI, −0.85 to −0.11,  , P = .01 ) and peak breath alcohol concentration ( β, −0.46, 95 % CI, −0.87 to −0.06,  , P = .03 ).
Semaglutide treatment did not affect average drinks per calendar day or number of drinking days, but significantly reduced drinks per drinking day ( β, −0.41, 95 % CI, −0.73 to −0.09,  , P = .04 ) and weekly alcohol craving ( β, −0.39, 95 % CI, −0.73 to −0.06,  , P = .01 ), also predicting greater reductions in heavy drinking over time relative to placebo ( β, 0.84, 95 % CI, 0.71 to 0.99,  , P = .04 ).
A significant treatment-by-time interaction indicated that semaglutide treatment predicted greater relative reductions in cigarettes per day in a subsample of individuals with current cigarette use ( β, −0.10, 95 % CI, −0.16 to −0.03,  , P = .005 ).
Conclusions and Relevance ,  ,
These findings support larger clinical trials to evaluate GLP-1RAs for alcohol use disorders because they provide first-ever prospective evidence that low-dose semaglutide can lessen craving and some drinking outcomes.
Trial Registration ,  ,
ClinicalTrials. gov Identifier:  , NCT05520775
