 "Can weight-loss drugs like Ozempic help reduce alcohol and drug cravings?")
GLP-1 drugs best known for weight loss and diabetes control may also reduce cravings for alcohol and drugs and help fight addiction, according to recent research. Scientists have found that medicines such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound can dampen the brain’s reward response, making addictive substances feel less appealing. Wall Street Journal recently reported real-world patient stories confirming the findings of the study titled GLP-1 receptor agonism results in reduction in hepatic ethanol metabolism, published in JAMA Psychiatry in February this year.
How do GLP-1 drugs influence the brain’s reward pathways?
GLP-1 drugs were originally designed for people with diabetes to help regulate insulin and control blood sugar. Their ability to curb appetite soon made them major players in obesity and weight-loss treatment. Over time, studies also revealed that semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, could reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
The link to addiction lies in the brain’s reward circuit. Scientists are discovering that GLP-1 receptors are active not just in the gut but also in brain regions linked to dopamine, the chemical that fuels both pleasure and cravings. By modulating these pathways, GLP-1 medicines might soften the rewarding “high” triggered by alcohol and drugs.
The JAMA Psychiatry study found that heavy drinkers who received weekly semaglutide injections drank less alcohol and reported fewer cravings, not only for alcohol but also for cigarettes, compared with participants given a placebo.
The Wall Street Journal report says that study researcher Kyle Simmons from Oklahoma State University described the effect as “turning down the gain” on the reward system. In simpler terms, the brain becomes less reactive to cues that would normally feel tempting.
What are researchers discovering about addiction and GLP-1 drugs?
According to the Wall Street Journal, the US National Institute on Drug Abuse is already conducting double-blind trials to test whether GLP-1 drugs reliably curb cravings in patients with alcohol-use disorder. Scientists are using virtual-reality environments, mock bars and brain-activity mapping to understand how people react to alcohol cues on and off the drug.
Early federal analyses of patient records have also suggested that people using GLP-1s for diabetes or obesity show lower rates of alcohol abuse, cannabis dependence and opioid overdoses.
Caron Treatment Centers in Pennsylvania, Atlanta, Washington and Florida have put more than 130 patients on GLP-1 injections. One patient, 41-year-old Susan Akin, told the Wall Street Journal that Zepbound muted her urges for cocaine and alcohol so profoundly that she could enter spaces filled with triggers without feeling overwhelmed. The cravings did not disappear entirely, but they fell to a volume she could manage.
Pharmaceutical companies have taken notice as well. Eli Lilly has confirmed that it is considering trials of Zepbound specifically for addiction, including for alcohol and tobacco.
Could GLP-1 drugs become a future option in addiction treatment?
Scientists say addiction is a layered condition that requires therapy, social support, environmental change and long-term follow-up. GLP-1 drugs, if proven effective, would be an added tool rather than a replacement for counselling or detox.
If larger trials continue to produce encouraging results, these drugs might reshape the future of addiction care.