Ozempic Seems to Curb Cravings for Alcohol

In the past year, prescriptions for both the diabetes drug Ozempic and its weight-loss counterpart Wegovy have skyrocketed, Both drugs contain the same active ingredient, semaglutide, which belongs to a class of drugs known as GLP-1 that regulate your blood sugar and make you feel satisfied after eating.

With the drug's surge in popularity, doctors and patients have begun to notice a striking side effect of these drugs: They appear to reduce people's cravings for alcohol, nicotine and opioids. They may also reduce some types of compulsive behaviors, such as gambling and online shopping. Scientists are hopeful that a new class of treatments for alcohol use disorder or smoking may be on the horizon. Learn more from NPR here.