Ozempic can curb alcohol cravings, study finds

What happened

Semaglutide, the drug sold as Ozempic to treat type 2 diabetes and Wegovy for weight loss, reduced alcohol cravings and consumption in a small trial involving people with moderate alcohol use disorder, researchers reported Wednesday in the journal JAMA Psychiatry. It was the first randomized controlled trial to study the effects of semaglutide on alcohol addiction, though anecdotal evidence and observational and animal studies have suggested the drug curbs desire for alcohol as well as food.

Who said what

The federally funded study gave 48 adults with signs of alcohol use disorder small doses of either semaglutide or a placebo once a week for nine weeks. Those receiving the semaglutide shots consumed significantly less alcohol on the days they drank versus the control group, though both groups drank about the same number of days each week.

"We hoped to see a reduction in drinking and craving," said study lead author Dr. Christian Hendershot of the USC Institute for Addiction Science. But the "magnitude of the effects" was unexpectedly good compared to the three little-used FDA-approved medications for alcohol use disorder. Semaglutide is already popular, and the finding that it helped people drink less could boost treatment uptake, addiction psychiatrist Dr. Raymond Anton said to CNN. "Most people seeking treatment do not want a goal of abstinence for the rest of their lives."

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What next?

Several larger studies are underway on semaglutide and alcohol, plus the drug's effects on "smokers, people with opioid addiction and cocaine users," The Associated Press said. It's unclear how safe semaglutide "would be for a person of normal weight."