Anecdotally, some people taking GLP-1s report having less cravings for more than just food.
Several clinical trials are underway to examine whether semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, can reduce the desire for alcohol. Evidence has indicated the drugs can reduce pleasure associated with drinking alcohol, but it is still uncertain whether they are safe and effective for treating alcohol use disorder. Trials investigating GLP-1s as potential treatments for drug addiction and for diminishing the risk of dementia are also underway.
At AHIP's June 2024 conference in Las Vegas, three physician executives weighed in on whether GLP-1s have the potential to curb other kinds of addictions:
Melanie Jay, MD, Director, NYU Langone Comprehensive Program on Obesity Research:
We don't know every way GLP-1s work in the brain, but they do work within the homeostatic pathway, which is where we focus on when it comes to regulation of appetite and metabolism. There's also the hedonic pathway. Anecdotally, there's a lot of food noise and GLP-1s decrease that noise so that some of the addictive aspects of food kind of disappears. Also anecdotally, a lot of people report that they don't want to drink alcohol anymore — they just aren't as interested and their craving for it has gone down.
Amy Meister, DO, Chief Medical Officer, WeightWatchers
We do see a lot of patients tell us anecdotally that they used to have a couple of drinks every night and now they just don't want it. I haven't had anyone specifically talk to us about gambling or other addictions, though some folks have reported having less cravings for cigarettes. Again, this is all anecdotal information.
Timothy Law, DO, Chief Medical Officer, Highmark
My medical policy team and I had a discussion this past week about keeping an eye out in the clinical trial world and for the anecdotal, real-world data about what else we might treat with these drugs. In the end, we're trying to give the best information and the most evidence-based advice that we can to our payer groups who are asking us whether or not they should cover something. So we are certainly keeping this all in mind.