Drugs like Ozempic, originally designed for weight loss, could offer a new treatment for alcohol and opioid addiction, according to a study published in the journal Addiction. The large-scale study looked at more than 503,000 people with a history of opioid use disorder (OUD) and found that those who had prescriptions for GLP-1 RA or GIP medications, including Ozempic and Mounjaro, had a 40% lower risk of opioid overdose compared to those who did not.
Researchers also examined more than 817,000 individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and found that those prescribed the same class of drugs had a 50% lower rate of alcohol intoxication.
While most previous research on GLP-1 RAs and GIPs for addiction has focused on animal studies or small-scale trials, this study offers more substantial evidence that these drugs might help treat substance use disorders.
“This study may introduce a promising new treatment for substance use disorders,” researchers wrote.
“The existing medications for treating substance use disorder are underutilized and stigmatized,” Fares Qeadan, associate professor of biostatistics at Loyola University in Chicago, told ABC News. “These medications intended for diabetes and weight loss can help addiction without the associated stigma, which will be a new window for how to deal with addiction.”
However, these medications are not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for addiction treatment. Dr. Céline Gounder told CBS News that it may be possible to see GLP-1 RA and GIP drugs prescribed for addiction in the future, but further research is necessary.
“We would need to see some randomized clinical trials over time to prove that this is truly cause and effect. That’s what you would need also for the FDA to expand the indication, which paves the way also for insurance coverage. But I think it’s quite possible we see that down the line,” Gounder said on “CBS Mornings.”
Still, there are risks associated with these medications.
“These drugs are working on the brain, and we don’t know what the long term effects of having this kind of hormone impacting your brain would be. We don’t know what the risks in the long term for cancer would be,” Gounder told CBS News. “We know that there are risks of pancreatitis, gallbladder issues, kidney issues, and there are some reports of suicidal thoughts, so that would be a concern.”