ATLANTA, March 8, 2024 – A medication widely used for weight loss is showing unexpected promise as a potential treatment for alcohol use disorder, offering a new avenue of hope for the millions struggling with addiction.
A Surprising Shift in Addiction Treatment
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New research suggests semaglutide, found in drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, may significantly reduce alcohol consumption and relapse rates.
- Semaglutide, initially designed to regulate blood sugar and appetite, appears to impact the brain’s reward centers, diminishing the pleasurable effects of alcohol.
- Studies show a reduction in relapse rates of over 50% in patients with obesity or type 2 diabetes taking semaglutide.
- Clinical trials indicate reduced alcohol cravings and heavy drinking in adults with alcohol use disorder.
- While promising, semaglutide is not yet FDA-approved for treating alcohol use disorder and should not be used off-label without medical guidance.
A patient who began taking a semaglutide-based medication for weight loss and has lost 80 pounds,experienced a remarkable side effect. “This stuff is a gamechanger,” she said.After a few months on the drug, her desire for alcohol almost vanished. A single glass of wine would last her entire evening, and she often didn’t even finish it. “I almost quit drinking wholly as it just did not taste good to me anymore,” Spiegel explained.
Millions of Americans already use GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide to manage hunger and blood sugar, according to Dr. Leslie Heinberg of Cleveland Clinic. “part of how these drugs may work is how they impact the reward centers in the brain,” Heinberg said. “people just don’t find the same reward when they drink, say, a glass of wine, than they used to.”
Research Highlights promising Results
Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, co-authored a 2024 study exploring the connection between semaglutide and alcohol use disorder. the study revealed that patients with obesity or type 2 diabetes who took the drug exhibited a lower risk of relapse, with some experiencing a reduction of over 50 percent. “Semaglutide reduced both the incidence as well as the severity of alcohol use disorder,” Volkow stated.
A clinical trial conducted in early 2025 showed that semaglutide significantly reduced alcohol cravings and heavy drinking in adults with alcohol use disorder. Volkow emphasized the urgent need for more effective treatments,noting,”Both alcohol use disorder,drug addictions have very,very high morbidity and mortality and economic costs,and we have very limited treatments.”
Stefanee Clontz, director of operations at Hydra+ in Atlanta, a medical wellness spa offering semaglutide treatments, noted that some clients are utilizing the medication specifically to curb their alcohol intake. “She’s actually down to her goal weight now but still comes in once a week for an injection because it helps her drink less,” Clontz said of one client. Clontz herself reported a decrease in her own drinking, from daily consumption to three or four times per week after starting semaglutide treatment.
Volkow cautioned against using semaglutide off-label until its safety and effectiveness for treating alcohol use disorders are definitively established through scientific research. Semaglutide has not yet been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for this purpose. “People are prescribing them, so there is an urgency to move forward as fast as possible so we can determine and guide people – yes this is valuable or non-valuable,” Volkow said.
Continued research, including larger clinical trials, is crucial to determine optimal dosing, treatment duration, and how semaglutide compares to existing medications, Volkow added. “Having a whole toolbox of options that we can offer patients, I think, is really essential to address the complexity of these diseases,” Heinberg said.
Additional trials are currently underway nationwide to further investigate semaglutide’s potential in treating alcohol use disorders and other addictive behaviors. Novo Nordisk,the manufacturer of Ozempic,sponsored a study examining semaglutide’s effect on alcohol consumption,primarily to assess its impact on liver health.
