Ozempic and similar medications may target brain circuitry involved in addiction as well as appetite control
Some users of Ozempic, the popular diabetes drug that can help people eat less and lose weight, have been noticing a welcome side effect. An increasing number of people who use these injections to help control their food cravings say other cravings disappear as well—including ones for nicotine, alcohol, gambling, skin picking and other compulsive behaviors.
How Do the New Weight-Loss Drugs Impact Addictions? Semaglutide, which was initially developed as a diabetes treatment, is a type of agonist—a substance that binds to specific receptors in the body and prompts a reaction. The drug triggers the pancreas to release a hormone called glucagonlike peptide–1 , which the organ normally produces in response to food. As GLP-1 levels increase, the body registers that it has had enough to eat and reduces hunger cravings as a result.
Previous research has found that activating GLP-1 receptors in rats’ brain causes the animals to eat less of a high-sugar chow, which they would normally prefer over a less delicious but healthier bland meal when given the option. This suggests that GLP-1 makes unhealthy food less rewarding. Schmidt’s team found the same to be true with cocaine: rats that received a GLP-1 agonist took less cocaine when it was offered.
Testing Semaglutide for Addiction Grigson’s trial is one of several underway that directly test whether GLP-1 agonists are as effective for addiction in humans as they are in animals. The largest human trial completed so far tested exenatide, an earlier GLP-1 agonist drug that is no longer widely used, in 127 people with alcohol use disorder.
Safety Concerns for Patients with Addiction GLP-1 agonists have proven to be safe in the general population, but common side effects such as nausea could dissuade people from taking the drugs. And more information is needed on the drugs’ safety in people who are recovering from and may also have other health conditions, says Christian Hendershot, a psychiatrist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who is testing semaglutide on alcohol and nicotine addictions.
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