- About 400 million people globally live with alcohol use disorder (AUD).
- AUD is linked to an increased risk for many diseases, including cancer.
- Although there are medicinal treatments available for AUD, only about 2% of people with AUD use them.
- A new study has found that semaglutide — the active substance in Ozempic and Wegovy — may help reduce alcohol cravings in people with AUD.
About
Also known as alcoholism, AUD has been linked to an increased risk for many diseases, including heart disease, liver disease, osteoporosis, dementia, and
AUD is also correlated with a heightened risk for
Traditional treatments for AUD include psychological counseling, entering a detoxification program, joining a support group like Alcoholics Anonymous, and certain medications such as
Despite the availability of treatment options, past research shows that
Now a new study recently published in the journal
For this study, researchers recruited 48 adults with AUD who were not actively looking for treatment.
Female participants had a past-month drinking history of more than seven drinks per week, plus two or more “heavy drinking” incidents of four or more drinks at one time.
Male participants had a history of drinking more than 14 drinks per week, and two or more heavy drinking episodes of five or more drinks.
Study participants received either an injection of semaglutide or placebo over 9 weeks. During the study period, researchers measured the weekly drinking patterns of each participant.
Upon analysis, the researchers found that participants who received semaglutide injections experienced a reduction in their weekly alcohol cravings, average drinks on drinking days, and amount of heavy drinking days, when compared to those taking the placebo.
The study authors reported that in the last month of treatment, participants in the semaglutide group significantly reduced their number of heavy drinking days, and about 40% of the group detailed no heavy drinking days during that last month.
Researchers also reported that the significance of semaglutide’s positive effects on several drinking outcomes was relatively greater than what is normally seen with existing AUD medications.
Lastly, they found that a small subgroup of study participants treated with semaglutide and were also cigarette smokers significantly reduced their average cigarettes per day compared to those receiving the placebo.
“These data suggest the potential of semaglutide and similar drugs to fill an unmet need for the treatment of alcohol use disorder,” Klara Klein, MD, PhD, assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and senior author of this study said in a press release.
“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,” she added
Medical News Today had the opportunity to speak with two addiction psychiatrists from Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey about this study. Neither of them was involved in the research.
Hussain M. Abdullah, MD, an addiction psychiatrist at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, told MNT he was excited to know that semaglutide went through a rigorous clinical trial as there was decent anecdotal evidence of its positive effects on treatment of alcohol use and other addictions.
“There are a limited number of FDA [Food and Drug Administration-] approved medications for alcohol use disorder, having an additional treatment card on the table is an advantage,” Abdullah noted. “Alcohol use disorder is highly heterogeneous and ‘one size fits all’ is not an ideal approach to treat it. To come up with individualized treatment plans, having a range of treatment modalities is always an advantage.”
Tony Issac, MD, an addiction psychiatrist at Raritan Bay Medical Center commented that this study is promising because it presents a novel pharmacological approach that may improve treatment options for individuals struggling with alcohol dependency.
He explained that:
“The reduction in alcohol craving and heavy/binge drinking days is particularly important as cravings are a significant factor for relapse. Having an alternative treatment option could increase accessibility and acceptance given the lower adoption rate of existing FDA approved AUD medications. Another promising aspect is semaglutide is already widely used in general medical settings which can potentially increase accessibility and further aim to reduce stigma often associated with AUD treatments.”
“The study’s limitations such as small sample size, short study duration, and the fact that participants were not actively seeking treatment may suggest that the results may not fully translate to a real-world clinical setting,” he continued.
“Before considering semaglutide as an off-label treatment for AUD, more research is needed to determine its long-term effectiveness, optimal dosing, and safety in patients with severe alcohol dependency,” said Isaac.
MNT also spoke with representatives from three organizations for addiction treatment providers to get their reaction on this new research.
“I am thrilled to see this study,” J. Greg Hobelmann, MD, MPH, co-CEO of Ashley Addiction Treatment, adjunct faculty in the Johns Hopkins Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, and secretary of the Executive Committee for the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers told MNT. “There has been a lot of hype about semaglutide (and other incretin mimetics), but we ought not base treatment on intuition and anecdotal reports.”
“Although this is a small study, it was well designed and executed,” Hobelmann added. “The results are very promising. This study gives me hope and truly serves as a basis to justify further studies.”
“I am always encouraged when I learn of a new tool for treating any substance use disorder, whether that is a psychosocial intervention, or a pharmaceutical,” Terrence Walton, MSW, executive director of NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, commented to MNT.
“Because there are several FDA-approved medications for alcohol use and opioid use disorders and none for methamphetamine, cocaine, or other stimulant use disorders, I was mildly disappointed that the focus was AUD. Nonetheless, I was intrigued to learn if a randomized, controlled, double-blind study would validate the anecdotal accounts I have heard regarding reductions in alcohol and drug cravings for people on weight loss medications,” he added.
“I am looking forward to the next phase, which will likely include a significantly larger sample and more variation in dosage,” Walton also noted. “It is important that future studies include those with severe alcohol use disorder, including those who are treatment seeking and who may desire abstinence.”
Finally, Lief Fenno, MD, PhD, chair of the American Psychiatric Association’s Council on Addiction Psychiatry and assistant professor of psychiatry at UT Austin Dell Medical School in Texas explained that:
“There have been rumors that GLP1s may have an effect on alcohol consumption — we need high quality studies with direct clinical utility to know whether the rumors are true, and if so, how to use this class of medications effectively and with which patients. This study is an early step toward answering these questions. The results suggest that it is worth conducting larger and longer studies.”
“Alcohol use and alcohol use disorder are common and closely associated with occupational dysfunction, relationship harm, and crime, in addition to severe medical and psychiatric consequences, including early death,” Fenno added. “I am excited about all interest and work to identify more effective ways to help patients increase their control over alcohol consumption.”
