For years, people taking Ozempic or other drugs in the same class for diabetes and weight loss have noticed the medicines don’t just curb their desire to eat; for some, they also lead them to drink less alcohol.

Now, one type of weight-loss medication is proving helpful with another health issue. In a study published Feb. 12 in JAMA Psychiatry, researchers report that semaglutide, better known as Ozempic or Wegovy, helped people with alcohol addiction reduce their craving and drink less.

Medications that have transformed the treatment of obesity may also help people drink less alcohol, according to new government-funded research. The study was small — just 48 adults — and lasted just over two months,

A new study (the first clinical trial of its kind) has shown that the GLP-1 agonist semaglutide — known by the brand name Ozempic — may help reduce not only alcohol cravings, but the amount of alcohol consumed when someone on the drug does drink

A new study published in the JAMA Psychiatry gives the strongest evidence that semaglutide — the active ingredient in Ozempic and the weight-loss drug Wegovy — could genuinely help individuals struggling with alcohol addiction drink less and crave alcohol less frequently.

The active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy was linked to reduced cravings for drinking alcohol among people with alcohol use disorder, according to a small study published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, supporting earlier research suggesting Novo Nordisk’s popular diabetes and weight loss drug could treat alcoholism.

Semaglutide, a medication widely used for diabetes and weight loss, may offer another unexpected benefit -- it could help people drink less alcohol.

The new findings add to growing evidence that the medicines could help people with alcohol addiction. View on euronews