Archive · 30 Jul 2026
Semaglutide Shows Promise in Reducing Alcohol Cravings
Scientists tested a pill called semaglutide on 100 adults who drink too much.
Half of them took the pill for eight weeks, and the other half got a fake pill.
The people who took semaglutide drank less, felt less urge to drink, and had fewer problems from drinking.
The study was done in a way that nobody knew who was getting the real pill.
The results were published in a medical journal, and the researchers want to do bigger studies to see if it really helps people who have trouble with alcohol.
Oral semaglutide reduced alcohol consumption and cravings in 100 adults with AUD over 8 weeks.
Participants on semaglutide drank less, had lower craving intensity, and fewer alcohol‑related problems than those on placebo.
The double‑blind randomized trial was published July 30, 2024 in the American Journal of Psychiatry.
Researchers plan larger, longer‑term trials to confirm dosing and long‑term effects.
No new FDA‑approved medications for AUD have been approved since 2006, making semaglutide a potential new treatment option.
- Who
- Dr Joseph Schacht and researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
- What
- Oral semaglutide reduced alcohol consumption and cravings in adults with AUD
- When
- Trial lasted 8 weeks; results published 30 July 2024
- Where
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, USA
- Why
- To find a new treatment option for alcohol use disorder
- Drug
- semaglutide
- Condition
- Alcohol Use Disorder
- Study Design
- Double-blind randomized controlled trial
- Participants
- 100 adults
- Duration
- 8 weeks
- Publication
- American Journal of Psychiatry
- Date Published
- 30 July 2024