Semaglutide, the active ingredient in weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic, has been shown to reduce alcohol consumption by approximately 40% in a first-of-its-kind clinical trial. Researchers from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine reported that the medication significantly curbed cravings and heavy drinking among participants with alcohol use disorder.
The study, published in JAMA Psychiatry, involved 48 individuals with drinking problems who were not seeking treatment. Participants were given weekly low-dose injections of semaglutide or a placebo for nine weeks, with drinking patterns measured in a lab setting before and after the trial. The semaglutide doses started at 0.25mg and increased to 1.0mg.
Results showed a 41% reduction in drinks consumed on drinking days and a 40% drop in weekly alcohol cravings for the semaglutide group. Nearly 40% of those on semaglutide reported no heavy drinking days in the final month, compared to 20% in the placebo group. The effects were observed even at the lowest clinical doses, surpassing those of existing alcoholism treatments.
Senior author Dr Klara Klein noted the potential for semaglutide to address an unmet need in treating alcohol use disorder, but called for larger and longer studies. Dr Stephen Burgess from the University of Cambridge suggested the drug may dampen brain cues for both food and alcohol cravings. Professor Sir Ian Gilmore of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK welcomed the findings, emphasising that further research could help understand alcohol dependence.
