Study finds weight loss drugs may reduce opioid and alcohol abuse by up to 50%

Written by Ciara Linnaeus

Study of data from over 500,000 abuse disorder patients reveals positive results

Weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic, made by Denmark's Novo Nordisk, can reduce rates of opioid and alcohol abuse by up to 50%, leading to hopes that the drugs could have a bigger impact than managing weight and diabetes. New research results confirm this.

The report, published in the scientific journal Addiction, analyzed data from more than 500,000 patients with a history of either opioid use disorder (OUD) or alcohol use disorder (AUD).

Researchers found that taking either GLP-1 or GIP drugs reduced the rate of OUD by 40% and the rate of AUD by 50%.

Novo Nordisk's (NVO) (DK:NOVO.B)'s Wigoby and Ozempic, as well as Eli Lilly's (LLY)'s Munjaro, both harness the effects of a gut hormone known as GLP-1, which helps control blood sugar levels and reduce appetite. Imitate. Munjaro also affects another hormone called GIP.

The drug, which has been approved in the United States and Europe to treat diabetes and obesity, has become so popular that it has been found to be in short supply.

The authors write that prescriptions “appear to be associated with lower rates of opioid overdose and alcohol intoxication in patients with opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder.”

The protective effect was “consistent across different subgroups, including patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity,” the researchers said.

Watch now: Obesity drugs in kindergarten? Novo Nordisk's GLP-1 drug is effective in children as young as 6 years old, a study found.

The news comes as drug abuse rates continue to rise across the country, with 107,000 drug overdose deaths expected in 2021, compared to 18,000 in 1999. reached 6 times.

As the number of deaths increased, the proportion of deaths due to opioids rose to more than 75% in 2021.

Opioid deaths have skyrocketed since Purdue Pharma introduced OxyContin in 1996 and the company aggressively marketed the painkiller. The drug and the Stamford, Conn.-based company, along with Purdue's owners, the Sackler family, have become synonymous with the crisis.

“Substance use disorders (SUDs), such as OUD and AUD, are widespread and have a negative impact on the health of the population, so we need to identify effective treatments for drug use and help those who may benefit.” “It is essential that these drugs be readily available,” the researchers wrote.

GLP-1 drugs have also had some success in treating other diseases.

Liraglutide, a GLP-1 drug also manufactured by Novo Nordisk and sold under the names Victoza and Saxenda, reduces cognitive decline in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease by up to 18% after 1 year of treatment compared to a placebo. %, according to the study, led by Imperial College London and presented at the Alzheimer's Society International Conference in Philadelphia.

In April, Lilly announced that two late-stage trials evaluating Zepbound, a 10-mg or 15-mg injection that the company sells for weight loss, showed that the drug's Zepbound, which the company sells for weight loss, was tested in two late-stage trials to improve the severity of obstructive sleep apnea and sleep apnea in obese adults. It was announced that the severity of the virus has been reduced by up to two-thirds. .

Other indications being studied include fatty liver disease, kidney disease, and heart disease.

Novo Nordisk's U.S.-listed shares rose 0.6% on Thursday and are up about 16% year-to-date. Eli Lilly shares rose 0.6%, and are up 58% year-to-date. The S&P 500 SPX rose 22%.

Read now: Novo Nordisk CEO quarrels with MPs over Ozempic and Wigoby prices

RELATED: The next wave of obesity drugs: These companies could take 20% of the GLP-1 market, analysts say

– Ciara Linnen

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