Oral semaglutide for Alcohol Use Disorder: A randomized clinical trial

What is it about?

People who take glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, have anecdotally reported that they drink less alcohol and have less craving for alcohol. We conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled form of oral semaglutide among patients with Alcohol Use Disorder. Semaglutide, relative to placebo, reduced many measures of alcohol consumption, as well as alcohol craving, alcohol-related negative consequences, and, among patients who also used cannabis, cannabis use.

Featured Image

Photo by Sérgio Alves Santos on Unsplash

Photo by Sérgio Alves Santos on Unsplash

Why is it important?

This is the first study to demonstrate that oral, rather than injectable, semaglutide reduces alcohol consumption. Oral medications are more acceptable for many patients and have potential for high clinical uptake.