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Tirzepatide Cuts Alcohol Drinking and Relapse-Like Behavior in Rodent Study

Researchers urge clinical testing, cautioning it is not a treatment yet.

Overview

  • Peer-reviewed findings in eBioMedicine show the Mounjaro ingredient reduced voluntary alcohol intake by more than half and prevented post-abstinence surges in consumption.
  • Reductions were observed across long-term, binge-like, and relapse-like drinking paradigms in both male and female animals.
  • Tirzepatide blunted alcohol-evoked dopamine responses in the brain’s reward circuitry, with evidence pointing to involvement of the lateral septum.
  • Molecular analyses identified histone-related protein changes in the lateral septum that may be part of the mechanism, though these changes were not shown to cause reduced drinking.
  • The dual GIP/GLP-1 agonist, already approved for type 2 diabetes, has a well-characterized safety profile that could speed evaluation for alcohol use disorder.