Several studies have indicated that GLP-1 analogue drugs, such as Ozempic, can reduce the risk of both alcohol and other drug abuse. Now, Danish researchers have investigated this in a study of 108 people with overweight or obesity and concurrent alcohol dependence.
Participants were randomly assigned to receive either semaglutide injections or placebo once a week for 26 weeks. The average age of the participants was 52 years and they reported an average of 17 days of heavy drinking in the past 30 days. All were also offered cognitive behavioral therapy.
Drink less
After six months, people who received semaglutide had an average of five days of heavy drinking in the past 30 days, compared with nine days in the placebo group. In addition, semaglutide led to reduced cravings for alcohol and fewer drinks per occasion compared with placebo.
"The effect is significantly better than what we see with existing medications used for alcohol dependence," says Sven Andréasson, professor emeritus of social medicine at Karolinska Institutet.
Although the study is small, the effect is so large that it raises hope for future treatment for alcohol abuse.
"But now studies on people with normal weight are needed for it to become relevant," says Sven Andréasson.
Need follow-up?
The results, published in the journal Lancet, build on previous data indicating that semaglutide reduces harmful alcohol use or dependence and on studies suggesting it reduces the risk of starting to abuse both alcohol and other drugs.
The researchers also emphasize that it is a small study and that no follow-up was done after the end of the study to see how alcohol consumption changed over time.
Facts: Positive side effects of GLP1 drugs
GLP-1 analogues were developed as glucose-lowering treatments for diabetes. However, they have been shown to have a number of other effects, the most well-known of which is weight loss.
In a study in Nature Medicine in 2025, researchers reviewed data on just over 200,000 people who received treatment with GLP-1 analogues and 1.7 million people who received treatment with other glucose-lowering drugs.
Several beneficial effects were seen in the GLP-1 group, including a reduced risk of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, Alzheimer's, addiction, schizophrenia and seizures.
They also saw increased risks of nausea, constipation and diarrhea, and an increased risk of arthritis.
Other studies have shown that the treatment appears to reduce the risk of heart attack, kidney disease and more severe forms of liver disease in certain groups.
Source: Nature Medicine, NEJM, etc.
