Anecdotally, patients on a popular class of weight loss drugs known as glucagon-like peptide receptor agonists are reporting another potential benefit experts are optimistic about: reduced cravings for alcohol.
"If it turns out that this medication is safe and effective for treating addiction, just by dint of how many people are already taking these medications for other purposes, this would become really the largest and most widely used pharmacotherapy for addiction medicine that's ever been developed," Kyle Simmons, PhD, director of the biomedical imaging center at Stillwater-based Oklahoma State University, told CBS News in a March 4 report.
Dr. Simmons is running a clinical trial that is examining whether semaglutide — the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk's Ozempic drug indicated for diabetes, and Wegovy, which is indicated for weight loss — can curb cravings for alcohol, much like the drug does for food cravings. Several such trials are underway, according to CBS News.
He noted that while evidence indicates the drugs can reduce pleasure associated with drinking alcohol, it is still uncertain whether they are safe and effective for treating alcohol use disorder. Trials investigating GLP-1 drugs as potential treatments for drug addiction and diminishing the risk of dementia are also underway.
On March 5, Novo Nordisk released results from a trial showing Ozemic cut the risk of kidney disease-related events in patients with Type 2 diabetes by 24%. The drugmaker said it plans to file a label expansion for Ozempic in the U.S. and European Union this year.
FDA officials have previously hinted the agency will expand the label of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy drug to include cardiovascular indications in 2024.