Could Ozempic Help Reduce Opioid Overdose Risk?

Semaglutide, the active ingredient in popular drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, could help some people struggling with opioid abuse. A new study this week has found a link between taking semaglutide and a reduced risk of overdose in people diagnosed with opioid use disorder.

While semaglutide has rightfully garnered lots of attention for its effectiveness in treating type 2 diabetes and obesity, researchers have also begun to notice that it and similar drugs may have other benefits. Scientists at Case Western Reserve University have been especially interested in studying whether these drugs can reduce people’s cravings for potentially addictive substances like opioids.

The researchers analyzed the health records of 33,000 patients who were diagnosed with both opioid use disorder and type 2 diabetes. They compared the opioid-related outcomes of people prescribed semaglutide (first approved for diabetes under the name Ozempic in 2017) to similarly matched people prescribed other antidiabetic medications. Those on semaglutide were noticeably less likely to experience overdose over the next year compared to those on other medications, they found—up to 68% less likely depending on the drug comparison.

“Semaglutide was associated with reduced opioid overdose risk in patients with comorbid T2D and OUD, suggesting its potential therapeutic value for preventing overdoses,” the researchers wrote in their study, published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Network Open.

The researchers’ study design was intended to emulate a randomized trial, but this data alone can’t be used to prove that semaglutide and similar drugs can treat addiction. That being said, it’s the latest piece of evidence to point in that direction. Earlier this July, the researchers published a study finding a similar association between reduced nicotine cravings and semaglutide use, and scientists elsewhere have presented early data that the drug can help ease alcohol abuse. Semaglutide is designed to mimic the hormone GLP-1, and some research has also suggested that GLP-1 receptors in the brain help regulate our response to addictive stimuli like drugs. We’re still not sure exactly how this process happens, but it does provide a plausible explanation for why GLP-1 medications can temper people’s various kinds of harmful cravings.

While there are existing effective treatments for opioid use disorder, only about a quarter of eligible patients take them. There are several factors behind this gap, including misconceptions about these medications among both patients and doctors. But being able to find other reliable options could certainly make it easier for patients to manage their opioid use disorder. The overdose crisis has continuously worsened over the years, with more than 100,000 Americans now dying from opioid overdoses annually (that said, deaths may have finally stopped climbing last year).

Ultimately, it will take large-scale clinical trials to confirm the benefits of GLP-1 therapy for addiction, the researchers note. Scientists have already started to test semaglutide for the treatment of alcohol use disorder in people. And given these findings, it’s looking likely that trials for opioid use disorder could soon follow.