Semaglutide Shows Promise in Treating Alcohol Use Disorder, New Study Finds

A groundbreaking Phase 2 clinical trial published in JAMA Psychiatry has revealed that semaglutide—a medication already widely prescribed for type 2 diabetes and obesity—may offer a promising new treatment pathway for individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD).

📉 What Did the Study Find?

Researchers from the University of North Carolina and the University of Southern California randomized 48 adults with AUD to receive either a weekly subcutaneous injection of semaglutide or a placebo over a period of nine weeks. Notably, these participants were not actively seeking treatment for their alcohol use—making the results even more significant.

Key outcomes included:

• Reduced alcohol consumption: Participants receiving semaglutide consumed less alcohol during lab-based self-administration tasks, with medium to large reductions in both the total grams of alcohol consumed and peak breath alcohol concentration.
• Fewer drinks per drinking day and lower alcohol cravings reported consistently throughout the trial.
• Reduced smoking behavior: Among participants who also smoked, those receiving semaglutide reported a decrease in the number of cigarettes smoked per day over time.

🧠 Why It Matters

Despite the profound health impact of alcohol use disorder, fewer than 2% of individuals living with AUD receive FDA-approved medication. The introduction of GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide may help close this treatment gap—especially as these medications gain popularity and familiarity in primary care settings.

Perhaps most compelling is that semaglutide reduced alcohol consumption even in individuals who had no stated intention to change their behavior. This suggests a powerful potential application in early intervention settings or with patients who are still ambivalent about seeking treatment.

⚠️ What’s Next?

While these early findings are promising, the study’s limitations—including its small sample size and short duration—mean that more research is necessary. Future studies should examine higher doses of semaglutide and include treatment-seeking individuals to further evaluate its safety and efficacy.

Still, this research marks a major milestone in the potential repurposing of GLP-1 medications for addiction medicine—a field that has seen no new FDA-approved treatment for AUD in more than two decades.

Stay tuned as TNSAM continues to monitor and support advancements in this emerging area of addiction medicine.