Ozempic helps to stop alcohol consumption in a new study

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Novo NordiskGreat drug drugs Ozempic can also help people drink less alcohol.

That is according to the new government financed by the Government investigation Published in Jama Psychiatry last week.

It was a small study of only 48 adults who lasted more than two months, but it seems to be the first clinical trial confirming that the so-called GLP-1 medications could help reduce the risks of consuming too much alcohol. Multiple data of the real world data, together with studies In animals, I have suggested that link.

The findings could be huge for those with alcohol use disorder, which is when a person cannot stop drinking even when he puts his health and safety at risk. The condition affects almost 30 million people in the United States and covers what people generally refer to as alcohol abuse, alcohol or alcoholism dependence, according to the 2023 national survey on drug and health use.

Alcohol consumption represents 2.6 million deaths per year and increases the risk of common diseases, such as different cancers, the study authors wrote. There are already three medications approved for alcohol use disorder, but the authors said that only a small part of patients with the condition receive treatment.

The new data add to the growing evidence that LPG-1, such as Ozempic and their weight loss counterpart, can help people handle cravings, and not only for food and alcohol.

Some preliminary investigations have suggested drugs can cushion the cravings To smoking, use of opioids, gambling and excessive purchases when obstructing the activation of brain reward. Mimic GLP-1 hormones produced in the intestine to suppress a person’s appetite and regulate their blood sugar.

But longer studies must confirm the effect of these drugs on addictive behaviors.

We are going to immerse ourselves in the data.

The researchers recruited people from 21 to 65 who reported symptoms of alcohol use disorder, but were not actively looking for treatment for it. Patients with diabetes and those who have previously used a LPG-1 or other weight loss medications were excluded of the study.

The patients spent two hours in a laboratory room supplied with their preferred alcoholic beverages, once before starting to take any drug in the study, and once later to see what had changed. Around half of the people took low doses of semaglutida, the active ingredient in Ozempic, and half received placebo shots weekly for nine weeks.

They also reported their consumption and alcohol desire habits throughout the study.

The results suggested that Ozempic injections decreased weekly alcohol cravings, reduced the average number of drinks consumed in the days of alcohol consumption and led to greater reductions in the days of excessive consumption of alcohol consumption compared to the placebo. In particular, the Ozempic effect on stopping several results for drinking seemed to be greater than what is often seen with existing medications that aim to reduce alcohol cravings.

For the second month of the study, the people who took Ozempic drank 30% less on average on the days they consumed alcohol. That compared to an average reduction of approximately 2% in the placebo group.

Almost 40% of the people who took Ozempic did not report days of excessive alcohol consumption in the second month of treatment, compared to 20% in the placebo group.

The study authors pointed out that they used the two lowest clinical doses of semaglutida in the trial. The highest doses of the drug “presumably would produce greater effects on alcohol reduction,” they added.

“These data suggest the potential of the semaglutida and similar drugs to meet an unsatisfied need for alcohol consumption disorder,” said principal author Klara Klein of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of North Carolina in a statement. “Longer and longer studies are needed in broader populations to completely understand safety and efficacy in people with alcohol consumption disorder, but these initial findings are promising.”

Among a small subgroup of people who smoked, those who took Ozempic had significantly higher reductions in the average cigarettes per day compared to those of the placebo group. That suggests that Ozempic can reduce alcohol and nicotine consumption.

Eli Lilly The plans to study if their drugs to lose weight can help treat addictive behaviors such as alcohol and drug abuse. The company has said that large -scale clinical trials will begin in 2025.

Do not hesitate to send any advice, suggestion, stories ideas and data to Annika in annikakim.constantino@nbcuni.com.

As the demand for GRP-1 weight loss drugs of great success has shot in recent years, some patients have resorted to digital health companies such as Hims and hers Health, Ro, Sesame and Noom to access medicines. Primary care doctors do not believe it is a good idea.

Metabolic Health Startup launched A survey of more than 2,000 primary care doctors last week who evaluated their attitudes towards LPG-1 and several treatment plans. In general, doctors said they are concerned about third -party telesalud suppliers.

Less than 20% of the surveyed doctors said they would feel comfortable with patients who use third-party telesage suppliers to access GLP-1 medications. Two thirds of respondents said they agree that accessing recipes through a third -party telesalud provider could put patient health at risk.

“That was alarming, I didn’t even think it would be so high,” said Viad President Wei-Li Shao, CNBC in an interview.

Voted does not prescribe LPG-1S, but the company offers a complementary program that supports patients who are taking the medications. It also aims to help patients maintain their weight loss if they decide to stop taking medications.

The company discovered that primary doctors are mainly concerned with third -party telesalud suppliers for two reasons: prescribe and continuity of care. In other words, concerned patients can access LPG-1 when not clinically appropriate, and that they could not receive the support they need through additional contact points such as follow-up visits.

In addition, many of the doctors surveyed are in the fence on the role of compound LPG-1, which are personalized alternatives to brand medications designed to meet the specific needs of a patient. Composite medicines can also occur when brand name treatments are in shortage.

FDA does not review the safety and efficacy of compound products, but can serve as alternatives to brand medications for patients navigating complex supply obstacles and irregular insurance coverage.

About 45% of the surveyed doctors said that the compounds will not be a long-term supply strategy, although they agreed that they can be useful to address the current scarcity. And 30% of respondents said they agreed or were very agreed to feel comfortable prescribing LPG-1 compounds.

“Patients or people looking for solutions are confused,” said Shao. “What has been our position is talking to your doctor, talking to your primary care doctor, who knows him, knows his history, knows what he has been and knows what his goals are and has a perspective about what is the right treatment in Association with you “.

Read the full report here.

Do not hesitate to send any advice, suggestion, stories ideas and data to Ashley in ashley.capot@nbcuni.com.

A little over a year has passed since the FDA approved the genetic therapies of falciform cells. But somehow, innovative drugs are still waiting to throw patients on scale.

With more than half of patients with falciform cells covered by Medicaid, the expansion coverage of falciform cell therapies could be difficult. The states already face high medical costs in the joint program with the federal government, and are preparing for possible fund cuts in Congress. Private insurers also face greater medical costs.

CVS health CEO David Joyner told me that private and governmental health plans are looking for new ways to manage the costs of innovative genetic therapies.

Do not hesitate to send any advice, suggestion, stories ideas and data to Bertha in bertha.coombs@nbcuni.com.