A new USC-led study reveals that semaglutide, known commercially as Ozempic, can significantly reduce alcohol cravings and heavy drinking. This research could offer new hope for people struggling with alcohol use disorder.
A new study led by the University of Southern California (USC) suggests that semaglutide — the active ingredient in the widely prescribed drugs Ozempic and Wegovy — could be a viable treatment option for those battling alcohol use disorder.
The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, marks the first randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial to explore this potential.
This revelation comes at a critical time, as alcohol-related fatalities are a significant public health crisis. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, an estimated 178,000 deaths annually in the United States are attributed to alcohol consumption, which can cause liver and cardiovascular diseases and is a known carcinogen.
Despite nearly a third of American adults meeting criteria for problem drinking at some point in their lives, very few seek or receive adequate treatment.
“The drugs currently approved to treat alcohol use disorder aren’t widely used,” first author Christian Hendershot, the director of clinical research at USC’s Institute for Addiction Science, said in a news release. “The popularity of semaglutide and other GLP-1 receptor agonists increases the chances of broad adoption of these treatments for alcohol use disorder, if approved for this indication.”
The study’s results are indeed encouraging. Participants who received weekly injections of semaglutide exhibited reduced alcohol cravings, consumed less alcohol and had fewer heavy drinking days compared to the placebo group.
Notably, nearly 40% of participants in the semaglutide group reported no heavy drinking days in the final month of treatment, compared to just 20% in the placebo group.
The Experiment
The researchers recruited 48 adults diagnosed with alcohol use disorder who were not actively seeking treatment. To define this, criteria included a history of drinking more than seven standard drinks per week for women and 14 for men, along with at least two heavy drinking episodes in the past month.
The trial began with the participants drinking their preferred alcoholic beverages in a comfortable laboratory setting.
Following this initial session, participants were randomly assigned to weekly injections of either semaglutide or a placebo for nine weeks.
Their drinking habits were closely monitored during this period.
Upon completion, the experiment was repeated to gauge changes. The findings showed that those on semaglutide had significantly reduced their alcohol consumption and cravings.
A Promising Future
These findings make a compelling case for larger-scale studies on GLP-1 receptor agonists for alcohol use disorder.
“These data suggest the potential of semaglutide and similar drugs to fill an unmet need for the treatment of alcohol use disorder,” added senior author Klara Klein, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. “Larger and longer studies in broader populations are needed to fully understand the safety and efficacy in people with alcohol use disorder, but these initial findings are promising.”
The implications of this study could be transformative, not only for those dealing with alcohol dependency but also potentially for smokers. A subgroup of participants who smoked cigarettes also saw significant reductions in cigarette consumption when treated with semaglutide.
This research provides a glimmer of hope for new treatments in addressing alcohol use disorder, a condition affecting millions but with limited effective treatment options available today.