Semaglutide, the active ingredient in the popular drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, can help some people who struggle with opioid abuse. A new study this week found a link between taking semaglutide and a reduced risk of overdose in people diagnosed with opioid use disorder.
Although semaglutide has rightfully received a lot of attention for its effectiveness in treating type 2 diabetes and obesity, researchers have also begun to realize that it and similar drugs may have other benefits. Scientists at Case Western Reserve University were particularly interested in studying whether these drugs could reduce people’s cravings for potentially addictive substances like opioids.
Researchers analyzed the medical records of 33,000 patients diagnosed with both opioid use disorders and type 2 diabetes. They compared the opioid-related outcomes of people prescribed semaglutide (first approved for diabetes under the name Ozempic in 2017) to the same people prescribed other drugs. diabetes medication. Those on semaglutide appeared to be less likely to experience an overdose in the following year compared to those on the other drugs, they found – up to 68% less likely to have an overdose compared to other drugs.
“Semaglutide is associated with a reduction in the risk of opioid overdose in patients with comorbid T2D and OUD, suggesting its potential therapeutic value for preventing overdose,” the researchers wrote in their study, published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Network Open.
The researchers’ study design was intended to mimic a randomized trial, but this data alone cannot be used to prove that semaglutide and similar drugs can treat addiction. That said, here’s the latest piece of evidence pointing in that direction. Earlier this July, researchers published a study that found a similar relationship between reduced nicotine cravings and the use of semaglutide, and scientists elsewhere have provided preliminary data that the drug can help reduce alcohol abuse. Semaglutide is designed to mimic the GLP-1 hormone, and other studies have also suggested that GLP-1 receptors in the brain help regulate our response to addictive substances such as drugs. We’re still not exactly sure how this process occurs, but it provides a plausible explanation for why GLP-1 drugs can provoke various types of human cravings.
Although there are effective treatments for opioid use disorder, only about a quarter of eligible patients are taking them. Several factors contribute to this gap, including misconceptions about these medications among patients and physicians. But being able to find reliable alternatives can certainly make it easier for patients to manage their opioid use disorder. The overdose problem has gotten progressively worse over the years, with more than 100,000 Americans now dying from opioid overdoses every year (meaning, deaths may have finally stopped rising last year).
Ultimately, it will take larger clinical trials to confirm the benefits of GLP-1 treatment for addiction, the researchers note. Scientists have begun testing semaglutide for the treatment of alcohol use disorders in humans. And given these findings, it seems possible that opioid use disorder trials may soon follow.
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