Ozempic (and similar medications) may be the

A new study published in the scientific journal addiction found that people with opioid or alcohol use disorder (OUD, AUD) who take Ozempic or similar medications to treat diabetes- or weight-related conditions appear to have a 40% lower rate of opioid overdose and a 50% lower rate of alcohol poisoning than people with OUD and AUD not taking Ozempic or similar medications.

Ozempic is one of several medications, called glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, or GLP-1 RAs, that are prescribed to treat diabetes, obesity, and other weight-related medical conditions. The drugs interact with a region of the brain, the mesolimbic system, to reduce appetite and induce satiety after eating. The mesolimbic system overlaps with the brain processes that govern addictive behaviors. This overlap suggests that GLP-1 RAs and similar medications might also alter reward response pathways associated with substance use. “Similar drugs” include glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) agonists such as the weight loss drug Mounjaro.

To date, most of the existing research on the use of GLP-1 RA and GIP to treat substance use disorders consists of animal studies and small-scale clinical trials.

This new large-scale human study looked at 503,747 people with a history of opioid use disorder (OUD), of whom 8,103 had a prescription for a GLP-1 RA or GIP. The study found that people with OUD who had a GLP-1 RA or GIP prescription had one 40% lower opioid overdose rate compared to those who did not have a prescription.

The study also looked at 817,309 people with a history of alcohol use disorder (AUD), of whom 5,621 had a prescription for a GLP-1 RA or GIP. The study found that people with AUD who had a GLP-1 RA or GIP prescription had one 50% lower rate of alcohol intoxication compared to those who did not have a prescription.

This study may introduce a promising new treatment for substance use disorders.

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For editors:

This open access paper is available from the Wiley Online Library (https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/add.16679) or you can request a copy from Jean O’Reilly, Editorial Director, addiction[email protected].

To speak with the lead author, Dr. Fares Qeadan, contact him at Loyola University by phone (+1-708-327-3294) or email ([email protected]).

Full article citation: Qeadan F, McCunn A and Tingey B. The association between glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and/or glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist prescriptions and substance-related outcomes in patients with substance use disorders ‘opioids and alcohol: an analysis of real-world data. addiction. 2024. DOI: 10.1111/add.16679

Principal Funding: No financing.

Declaration of interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to report.

addiction (www.addictionjournal.org) is a monthly international scientific journal that publishes peer-reviewed research reports on alcohol, substances, tobacco, gambling, editorials, and other discussion articles. Owned by the Society for the Study of Addiction, it has been in continuous publication since 1884.

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