Semaglutide: A New Treatment Option for Alcohol Use Disorder?

A widely used medication for diabetes and weight management may also help some adults with alcohol use disorder (AUD) reduce harmful drinking. In a 50-person phase 2 randomized trial, 81.0% of participants receiving oral semaglutide reduced their World Health Organization risk-drinking level by at least one category, compared with 53.8% receiving placebo.

Semaglutide was also associated with fewer heavy drinking days, fewer drinks per drinking day, lower naturalistic alcohol craving, and fewer alcohol-related consequences. Among participants who used cannabis, cannabis use days also declined.

Although the drug did not meet the study’s primary endpoint, the findings support further research into semaglutide as a potential AUD treatment. Read more from MedScape here.