GLP-1 drugs, which have revolutionized the treatment of obesity and diabetes, may be on the verge of a completely new use. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has launched the largest clinical trial to date to test whether semaglutide can also help treat alcohol dependence.
The study, called Cessation or Reduction of Alcohol Consumption in Veterans (CRAVE), will enroll more than 600 veterans at 18 medical centers in the United States. Participants, ages 18 to 80 and diagnosed with moderate or severe alcohol use disorder, will receive weekly injections of semaglutide or a placebo for 24 weeks. Researchers will assess changes in alcohol consumption, health status, and quality of life.
Semaglutide is currently approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity, but is not yet authorized for the treatment of alcohol dependence. However, previous studies have suggested that GLP-1 receptor agonists may affect reward centers in the brain, reducing cravings and impulses associated not only with food, but also with alcohol and other addictive substances.
The announcement comes just days after the American company Altimmune published positive results from the second phase of the clinical trial for pemvidutide, another drug that acts on GLP-1 and glucagon receptors, which showed a significant reduction in alcohol consumption in patients with alcohol use disorder.
If the VA study confirms semaglutide's efficacy, it could pave the way for a whole new use of GLP-1 drugs, turning them into an important weapon not only against obesity but also against addiction. However, experts emphasize that definitive results are still lacking and that patients should not use semaglutide as a treatment for alcohol dependence outside of clinical trials or without a doctor's recommendation.
