GLP-1 plus therapy can reduce heavy drinking

May 12, 2026

GLP-1 plus therapy can reduce heavy drinking

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a medical condition marked by the inability to stop or control alcohol use. Behavioral health treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help treat AUD. But only three medications have been approved for AUD despite decades of research. Newer and more effective treatments are needed.

GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s) are a class of drugs approved for treating diabetes and obesity. These drugs act on brain pathways involved in appetite regulation and reward. This suggests that they may also help control alcohol consumption. Some GLP-1s have shown promise for reducing alcohol consumption in animal and human studies. Analyses of medical records for people with diabetes or obesity have found a lower risk of AUD among those treated with a GLP-1. But few randomized clinical trials have been conducted of GLP-1s for treatment of AUD.

An international team of researchers, led by Dr. Anders Fink-Jensen at Copenhagen University Hospital and including NIH scientists, studied the effects and safety of the GLP-1 semaglutide in people seeking treatment for AUD who also had obesity. Participants received an injection of either semaglutide or a placebo once a week for 26 weeks. All participants were also offered standard CBT sessions for AUD. The results of the trial were published in The Lancet on May 2, 2026.

A total of 108 participants enrolled in the trial, with 88 completing the trial. For all participants, the frequency of heavy drinking days decreased over the course of the trial. But the decrease was significantly larger for those receiving semaglutide. Those taking semaglutide also had larger decreases in total monthly alcohol consumption, number of drinks per drinking day, self-reported alcohol craving, and measures of harmful alcohol use.

The team also monitored various biomarkers for alcohol consumption and liver damage in the blood. These biomarkers declined more in the semaglutide group than in the placebo group. Body weight, waist circumference, body mass index, and average blood sugar also decreased more in the semaglutide group.

The most common adverse events were transient, mild to moderate gastrointestinal symptoms. This included nausea, constipation, loss of appetite, diarrhea, reflux, and abdominal pain. These effects were more common in the semaglutide group than in the placebo group. Only one participant in the semaglutide group experienced an adverse event requiring hospitalization.

The results suggest that semaglutide could reduce alcohol consumption in people with AUD and obesity. "These findings are consistent with previous studies showing that GLP-1s might be an effective treatment for AUD" says study co-author Dr. George Koob, Director of NIH's National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). The researchers note that further clinical trials will be needed to determine if the results also hold in people without obesity.

"We're beginning to see some of that potential for GLP-1s to treat drug addiction turn into reality. Questions remain but this is nonetheless very encouraging," says study co-author Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of NIH's National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

-by Brian Doctrow, Ph.D.

Related Links

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• Understanding alcohol use disorder
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References

Once-weekly semaglutide versus placebo in patients with alcohol use disorder and comorbid obesity: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Klausen MK, Justesen SK, Pedersen JN, Rasmussen L, Jensen A, Jensen ME, Knorr UB, Bergmann ML, Holst JJ, Hartmann B, Koob GF, Benveniste H, Volkow ND, Ekstrøm CT, Knudsen GM, Vilsbøll T, Fink-Jensen A. Lancet. 2026 May 2;407(10540):1687-1698. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(26)00305-3. PMID: 42070571.

Funding

NIH's Intramural Research Program (IRP); Novo Nordisk Foundation; Research Foundation, Mental Health Services, Capital Region of Denmark; Novavi Foundation; Hartmann Foundation; Augustinus Foundation.