Previous research conducted earlier this week is the latest to suggest that semaglutide and other GLP-1 medications could help treat people addicted to opioid substances and alcohol.
The sky is still the limit for semaglutide, the active ingredient in popular medications Ozempic and Wegovy. The recently published research is the latest to suggest that semaglutide and other GLP-1 medications could help treat people addicted to opioid substances and alcohol.
GLP-1 medications have been a valuable treatment for type 2 diabetes for nearly twenty years. More recently, they have made a significant change in the obesity treatment landscape, as clinical trials have shown that newer medications like semaglutide are much more effective in helping people lose weight from diet and exercise alone. Researchers have now also begun to study whether GLP-1s can reduce cravings in individuals to consume substances that may be harmful, such as opioids or alcohol. So far, evidence of this effect has largely come from studies conducted on animals, personal stories of individuals, and small studies of GLP-1 users. This new research, published on Wednesday in the journal Addict, takes a more comprehensive look at the potential benefits of GLP-1s for drug use disorders.
Researchers analyzed medical records for over half a million individuals with a history of opioid use disorder (OUD) and over 800,000 individuals with a history of alcohol use disorder (AUD). They tracked what happened to individuals who suffer from these disorders and were prescribed GLP-1 medication or not, for up to two years. In all areas, the researchers found a clear link between GLP-1 usage and reduced symptoms of drug use disorder.
Compared to non-GLP-1 users, individuals with OUD who take GLP-1s for other conditions were 40% less likely to experience an overdose of opioid substances, for example. Similarly, individuals with AUD who take GLP-1 were 50% less likely to experience alcohol poisoning. This decrease in associated risks was similar across different groups of patients typically prescribed GLP-1s, such as individuals with type 2 diabetes or individuals with obesity.
Recent studies have analyzed medical records of individuals and found a similar positive pattern between GLP-1 usage and reduced drug problems. But this study seems to be one of the largest studies of its kind so far, collecting data from over 130 different health systems. The authors also clearly aimed to identify the potential benefits of these medications in reducing drug-related symptoms in individuals. Given their results, they argue that these medications may not only change the game for obesity, but also for treating drug use disorders.
They wrote: “The results of this study have the ability to suggest important effects on both clinical practice and public health policy in the coming years.” “Future research should focus on anticipated clinical trials to verify these results, explore underlying mechanisms, and determine the long-term effectiveness and safety of GIP/GLP-1 RA medications in diverse population groups.”
While it is important to gather more evidence for any hypothesis, this type of study alone cannot definitively prove that GLP-1 medications should be added to the list of medications for treating drug use disorders at this time. There are ongoing clinical trials testing the drug semaglutide in alcohol addiction treatment, and more trials are likely to follow regarding opioid use disorder as well. If these trials confirm the validity of the results collected so far, GLP-1 could certainly be an important option for individuals struggling with drug use, especially as many of them are unlikely to be treated with existing medications.
