Overview
- The Lancet reports that the GLP-1 drug semaglutide, which acts on appetite and brain reward signals, reduced heavy drinking compared with placebo over six months.
- Participants on a 2.4 mg weekly dose averaged about five heavy-drinking days per 30 days, compared with nine days for those on placebo.
- Total alcohol intake fell to roughly 650 grams per 30 days with semaglutide from about 2,200 grams at baseline, versus 1,175 grams with placebo.
- The double-blind study enrolled 108 treatment-seeking adults with obesity at a Danish mental health center, and all participants were offered cognitive behavioral therapy.
- Authors called the effects robust yet preliminary due to the small sample and no post-trial follow-up, and experts said larger, longer studies could guide care.