Semaglutide has made headings recently as an FDA-approved drug for the treatment of diabetes under the name Ozempic, and weight loss under the name Wegovy. Just recently, attention has actually turned to the possibility that semaglutide might have broader applications, including its potential influence on addicting behaviors such as decreasing drug yearning and alcohol consumption. Pre-clinical research in rodents and monkeys has demonstrated that semaglutide is related to significant declines in drug and alcohol usage, and lots of clients taking the drug for diabetes and weight-loss report significant reductions in the urge to drink alcohol.
” This research marks a significant advance in our understanding of the potential healing applications of semaglutide in the field of addiction medication,” said the lead author, Dr. Jesse Richards, director of Obesity Medicine and assistant professor of Medicine at OU-TU School of Community Medicine.
Key Takeaways from the Research:
Semaglutide Treatment and Alcohol Use Disorder: The study reveals a marked decrease in Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) ratings in all 6 patients who received semaglutide treatment in the course of pharmacotherapy for weight-loss. The outcomes suggest a potential function for this medication in the management of Alcohol Use Disorder.
Ramifications for Future Research: The findings open new avenues for future research study into using glucagon-like peptide-1 medications, such as semaglutide, in the treatment of addictive behaviors.
Collaborative Research Model: This collaboration between The University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine and Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences is an example of the capacity when clinicians and researchers collaborate to check out ingenious solutions to intricate healthcare obstacles.
Dr. Kyle Simmons, the papers senior author and teacher of Pharmacology & & Physiology at OSU-Center for Health Sciences kept in mind that this case series evidence leads the way for gold-standard placebo-controlled medical trials such as the one he is presently performing in Tulsa at the OSU Hardesty Center for Clinical Research and Neuroscience.
Called STAR (Semaglutide Therapy for Alcohol Reduction), the clinical trial is moneyed by the Hardesty Family Foundation and OSU-CHS. A sis research study is likewise presently underway in Baltimore moneyed by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
” This is an example of what can occur when our 2 R-1 research organizations in Oklahoma work together,” said Simmons. “With the publication of this case series in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, the stage is set for future scientific trials, such as the STAR studies, which can definitively tell us whether semaglutide is reliable and safe for treatment of alcohol use disorder.”
The researchers highlighted the requirement for further investigation through larger, controlled research studies to expand and verify upon these preliminary findings. Till the outcomes of future placebo-controlled clinical trials are readily available, the authors believe that doctor must point patients towards recognized behavioral treatments and medications that have been verified by the FDA for alcohol use condition.
Reference: “Significant Decrease in Alcohol Use Disorder Symptoms Secondary to Semaglutide Therapy for Weight Loss: A Case Series” by Jesse R. Richards, DO; Madisen Fae Dorand, MD; Kyleigh Royal; Lana Mnajjed; Maria Paszkowiak and W. Kyle Simmons, PhD, 27 November 2023, The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry.DOI: 10.4088/ jcp.23 m15068.
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry published a research study from the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State University, exposing that semaglutide may considerably lower Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) signs. Originally approved for diabetes and weight-loss, semaglutide now reveals promise in the field of dependency medicine.
Current research study shows that semaglutide, a drug used for diabetes and weight loss, might effectively minimize symptoms of Alcohol Use Disorder. This finding, based on a research study involving six patients, opens brand-new opportunities for dependency treatment and has actually led to additional medical trials.
The very first released proof from human beings that semaglutide specifically minimizes the symptoms of Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) has been published in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry and information a recent partnership in between clinicians and scientists at the University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine and Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences. The paper describes the outcomes of 6 clients who received semaglutide throughout treatment for weight loss, showing a notable and substantial reduction in their Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores.
Jesse Richards, director of Obesity Medicine and assistant professor of Medicine at OU-TU School of Community Medicine and lead author of the research study. Credit: OU-Tulsa
The paper is titled “Significant Decrease in Alcohol Use Disorder Symptoms Secondary to Semaglutide Therapy for Weight Loss: A Case Series.” This cooperation has the prospective to impact the lives of people battling with Alcohol Use Disorder.
