Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
Researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and international collaborators conducted a randomized controlled trial examining the effects of the GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide in patients with alcohol use disorder and obesity. Participants received either semaglutide or placebo weekly alongside cognitive behavioral therapy for 26 weeks.
The study found that those treated with semaglutide experienced a 41.1% reduction in heavy drinking days, which was 13.7% greater than the reduction in the placebo group. These findings were supported by blood-alcohol biomarker measurements collected during the study, confirming the self-reported data.
Additionally, participants in the semaglutide group showed greater reductions in bodyweight, blood pressure, and other clinical indicators compared to those receiving placebo. Some participants experienced mild, transient gastrointestinal symptoms.
The researchers reported a number needed to treat (NNT) of 4.3 with semaglutide, suggesting potentially greater clinical efficacy than currently approved medications for alcohol use disorder, which generally have an NNT of 7 or higher. The NIH authors described the results as encouraging for the potential role of GLP-1 receptor agonists in treating substance use disorders.