A recent Phase 2 clinical trial has revealed promising evidence that GLP-1 medications, commonly used for weight loss and diabetes treatment, may help reduce alcohol cravings. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, investigated the effects of semaglutide, the active ingredient in drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, on individuals with alcohol use disorder who were also overweight or obese.
The research involved 48 participants and demonstrated that those receiving semaglutide experienced approximately 50% greater reduction in alcohol consumption compared to those given a placebo, as measured by breath alcohol concentration during a two-hour beverage choice test. While both groups showed decreased drinking by the end of the eight-week treatment period, the semaglutide group exhibited more significant reductions.
Statistical analysis revealed that participants taking semaglutide consumed fewer drinks per drinking day, although the total number of drinks per calendar day remained unchanged. The medication didn’t affect the frequency of drinking versus non-drinking days but did lead to decreased self-reported cravings compared to the placebo group.
While these findings are encouraging, the study’s small scale means larger trials are necessary before definitive conclusions can be drawn. Novo Nordisk is already conducting a more extensive Phase 2 trial examining semaglutide, alongside cagrilintide and an
experimental liver drug, in patients with both alcohol use disorder and liver disease.
Additionally, Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston is preparing to study tirzepatide (sold as Zepbound by Eli Lilly) for alcohol use disorder, while Eli Lilly has expressed interest in exploring Zepbound’s potential for treating both alcohol and drug addiction.
The study’s researchers, led by Christian Hendershot from the University of Southern California, suggest that reduced alcohol consumption on a large scale could yield significant public health benefits. This possibility is supported by a Swedish study of over 200,000 patient records, which found that individuals with substance use disorders taking semaglutide or liraglutide had significantly lower rates of alcohol or drug-related hospitalizations.
However, a meta-analysis examining various types of research has introduced some uncertainty regarding these findings. Currently, the FDA has approved only three medications for reducing alcohol consumption: disulfiram (1951), naltrexone (1994), and acamprosate (2004). In Europe, Lundbeck’s Selincro was approved in 2013 for reducing heavy drinking days, though it never received U.S. approval for alcohol use disorders.
Semaglutide is currently FDA-approved under the brand names Wegovy for obesity and Ozempic for diabetes. Similarly, tirzepatide is marketed as Zepbound for obesity and Mounjaro for diabetes. The potential expansion of these medications into alcohol use disorder treatment could represent a significant development in addiction medicine, though more comprehensive research is needed to confirm their efficacy in this application.
The intersection of appetite suppression and alcohol craving reduction suggests these medications might work through similar mechanisms to help individuals manage both weight and alcohol consumption. As research continues and larger trials proceed, the medical community will gain a clearer understanding of whether GLP-1 drugs could become a valuable tool in treating alcohol use disorder, potentially adding to the limited number of FDA-approved options currently available.