Wegovy and Mounjaro could help to prevent and treat addiction, experts suggest
Weight-loss jabs like Wegovy and Mounjaro could prevent and treat addiction to alcohol, cigarettes and drugs, according to a large study.
Experts believe the way the medicines work on the brain’s reward pathway cuts cravings and could help to save lives from substance abuse.
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Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s) help people feel fuller by mimicking the natural hormone released after eating. Common jabs include Wegovy and Mounjaro for weight loss, and Ozempic for diabetes.
Now, a large US study has found the jabs could help in the treatment of addiction to a range of substances including alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, nicotine and opioids.
The research found GLP-1s helped both prevent substance misuse in those who had no addictions and prevented overdoses and A&E visits in people already addicted.
The researchers concluded: “GLP-1 receptor agonists were associated with lower risks of incident alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, nicotine, opioid and other substance use disorders, suggesting potential preventive effects across a broad range of substances.
“In participants with pre-existing SUDs [substance use disorders], GLP-1 receptor agonists were associated with reduced risks of SUD-related emergency department visits, hospital admissions and mortality, and drug overdoses and suicidal behaviours.”
The study looked at more than 600,000 US veterans with type 2 diabetes who were monitored for up to three years. In veterans with no history of substance abuse, starting a GLP-1 drug was linked to an overall 14 per cent reduced risk of substance use disorders.
The drugs were also linked to a reduced risk of problems with alcohol (18 per cent), cannabis (14 per cent), cocaine (20 per cent), nicotine (20 per cent) and opioids (25 per cent), when compared with people on other diabetes drugs.
This meant there were between one and six fewer cases per 1,000 people over three years.
Among those with an existing substance use disorder, starting a GLP-1 was linked to 31 per cent lower risk of SUD-related emergency department visits, 50 per cent lower deaths and 39 per cent fewer overdoses.
This is about one to 10 fewer such things happening per 1,000 people over three years.
While the study, published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), was predominantly on older men, similar results were found in women.