Use of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists to Treat Substance and Alcohol Use Disorders is Promising, but Premature

Christian Hendershot, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and director of the Clinical and Translational Addiction Research Program at the UNC School of Medicine, co-wrote a commentary on repurposing the antidiabetic medication semaglutide to treat substance and alcohol use disorders.

---

Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) originally formulated to treat diabetes, has gained traction as the latest and greatest weight loss drug. Amongst the hype, anecdotal observations from patients and providers alike have suggested the drug may also play a role in treating alcohol use disorder and other substance use disorders.

Christian Hendershot, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and director of the Clinical and Translational Addiction Research Program in the Department of Psychiatry and Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, UNC School of Medicine, co-penned a commentary in Nature Medicine addressing the recent trend. Although evidence from preclinical studies has shown that GLP-1RAs can reduce the rewarding properties of addictive drugs, more studies are needed to verify their efficacy and safety in patients who use alcohol and other drugs.

“The practice of evidence-based medicine is critically important, and although the data on semaglutide are promising, it is premature to prescribe off-label semaglutide to these patients,” said the authors.

Randomized controlled trials (RCT)s are specifically needed to understand the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of GLP-1RAs. Both rigorous and thorough, RCTs will help researchers understand the impact the drug has on co-morbid conditions (such as metabolic disorders) and other medication interactions (such as stimulants). Additionally, RCTs will also assist researchers in identifying patient subgroups that are more or less tolerable to GLP-1RAs.

Hendershot is leading two randomized clinical trials on semaglutide for substance use: “Semaglutide for Alcohol Use Disorder” and “Effects of Semaglutide on Nicotine Intake“, which are currently underway at UNC.

In the meantime, providers are advised to prescribe US Food and Drug agency (FDA)-approved medications for alcohol use disorder, such as acamprosate and naltrexone, or offer patients other effective and available psychosocial, behavioral, and pharmacological treatments.

“Although we believe that off-label use of GLP-1RAs for alcohol use disorder is premature, the increased attention to this topic may have the benefit of increasing awareness of alcohol use disorder, its impact on health, and the existence and availability of approved medications to treat alcohol use disorder,” said the authors.

Lorenzo Leggio, Mehdi Farokhnia, Anders Fink-Jensen, Mette Kruse Klausen, Joseph Schacht, and Kyle Simmons also contributed to the commentary.

Media contact: Kendall Daniels, Communications Specialist, UNC Health | UNC School of Medicine

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos