Research on GLP-1 drugs for AUD and other substance use issues has gained momentum in recent years.
“This is a time of cautious optimism in the field,” says Joseph P. Schacht, PhD, an associate professor of psychiatry and substance dependence at the University of Colorado School of Medicine Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. “Several small clinical trials have found that GLP-1 RAs, compared with placebo, reduced alcohol use,” he adds.
Some of the most compelling research:
- A study published in May 2026 in The Lancet looked at 108 Danish subjects with obesity and AUD who reported 17 days of heavy drinking on average over the last month. After six months, those who got a weekly semaglutide injection reported just 5 heavy drinking days per month, compared with 9 heavy drinking days for those in the placebo group.
- In a study published in JAMA Psychiatry in February 2025 that included 48 patients with AUD, researchers found low-dose weekly injections of semaglutide significantly reduced alcohol cravings and nicotine use compared with placebo.
- In a large Swedish study published in JAMA Psychiatry in November 2024, scientists found that people who were taking the GLP-1 drugs semaglutide or liraglutide were less likely to be hospitalized for AUD.
- Early research has suggested that GLP-1s may also reduce cravings for other addictive substances, like cocaine.
”While these and other studies are encouraging, they’re still considered preliminary,” says Dr. Schacht. “Specific measures like safety, effectiveness, and dosing for AUD still need to be tested and confirmed. Ultimately, we need more data from larger clinical trials of these medications. Fortunately, multiple academic and industry trials should have results in the next one to two years.”
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