Yet another study supports the idea that the blockbuster GLP-1 drug Ozempic can help problem drinkers curb their intake, raising important questions about its potential impact within communities disproportionately affected by alcohol use disorders, such as the Black community.
The research found that, compared to placebo, weekly injections of semaglutide (also marketed for weight loss as Wegovy) helped reduce cravings in people with alcohol use disorders. The drug also seemed to reduce the quantity and frequency of alcohol intake, researchers said.
“There’s a real need for new approaches to treat alcoholism,” said study lead author Christian Hendershot, who directs clinical research at the University of Southern California’s Institute for Addiction Research. “Two drugs currently approved to reduce alcohol consumption aren’t widely used. The popularity of Ozempic and other GLP-1 receptor agonists increases the chances of broad adoption of these treatments for alcohol use disorder.”
His team published its findings Feb. 12 in JAMA Psychiatry.
Links between GLP-1 meds and reductions in alcohol dependence aren’t new: Patients taking GLP-1s for diabetes or weight loss quickly realized their appetite for booze fell after commencing the therapy.
However, Hendershot called the new study the first randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial to investigate this effect.
The trial involved 48 adult problem drinkers who were otherwise not actively seeking treatment to cut down on their drinking. Female participants drank more than seven drinks per week, while men drank 14 or more weekly. All of the participants also engaged in two or more heavy drinking episodes (four or more drinks for women and five or more for men) per week.
A week prior to the study, the USC team had participants drink the alcoholic beverage of their choice in a controlled setting, to set a baseline for their typical cravings and consumption.
The study itself involved weekly, low-dose injections of Ozempic or a placebo for nine weeks, during which time people’s weekly drinking habits were also measured.
When the study ended, participants went back to the lab to again assess how much booze they might consume.
As noted in other studies, Ozempic seemed tied to reductions in the number of cravings folks had and the number of drinks they consumed. These reductions seemed to outpace those observed with drugs already approved to treat problem drinking, Hendershot’s team noted.
Heavy-drinking days were also greatly reduced: By the end of the trial, 40% of the people taking Ozempic said they’d had no days of heavy drinking over the last month of treatment, compared to 20% of those who took a placebo.
A smaller subset of the drinkers also smoked, and the research showed that smoking rates declined among those taking Ozempic.
“These data suggest the potential of semaglutide and similar drugs to fill an unmet need for the treatment of alcohol use disorder,” concluded study senior author Dr. Klara Klein.
“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,” said Klein, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
A KFF Health Tracking Poll in May 2024 found that about 13 percent of U.S. adults have ever used a GLP-1 agonist, which includes medications like Ozempic and Wegovy. The same KFF poll indicated that Black adults are somewhat more likely than White adults to report ever taking these drugs (18 percent vs. 10 percent). This suggests a potentially higher utilization of GLP-1s among Black Americans.
While the study’s findings are promising, it’s crucial to consider the potential implications for specific populations, including Black Americans. Alcohol use disorder disproportionately affects certain communities, and access to effective treatment remains a significant challenge. Further research is needed to understand how GLP-1 medications like Ozempic might address these disparities and whether they are equally effective across different racial and ethnic groups.
More information
Find out more about battling alcohol use disorder at the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
SOURCE: University of Southern California, news release, Feb. 12, 2025