A Weight-Loss Shot for Alcohol Addiction? What New Data Reveals

GLP-1 drugs, which have already reshaped the conversation around obesity and diabetes, are likely to do the same for one of the world's most stubborn and under-treated health problems, a new clinical trial suggests.

Results published in The Lancet, cited by the Economic Times, from a randomised controlled trial in Denmark found that weekly injections of semaglutide — the active ingredient in Wegovy — reduced heavy drinking days by 50% more than placebo in adults with obesity who were seeking treatment for alcohol use disorder.

At the start of the trial, participants were recording an average of 17 heavy drinking days in the previous 30. After six months on semaglutide, that figure had fallen to approximately five days. Those on placebo saw a reduction too, but only to around nine days. Monthly alcohol consumption among those on the drug dropped from roughly 2,200 grams to 650 grams — about double the reduction seen in the control group.

The Wegovy formulation was used throughout the trial at doses consistent with its approved obesity indication, meaning the effect was observed at a standard therapeutic dose rather than an experimental one.

Important Caveats

The trial was small — 108 participants at a single mental health centre in Denmark — and the authors are candid about its limitations. There was no follow-up period after the trial concluded to determine whether the reduction in drinking was sustained once treatment ended. The study population was also specific that adults with both obesity and alcohol use disorder, which may limit how broadly the findings can be applied.

Alcohol use disorder accounts for 5% of deaths worldwide every year. Existing treatments are limited in number. The authors say the study adds to a growing body of evidence for GLP-1 drugs in alcohol use disorder. The potential scale of impact is considerable: given global rates of both alcohol use disorder and obesity, the overlap of the two conditions alone represents a patient population in the tens of millions.

Price Drop

Amid the rising popularity and competition of semaglutide, Novo Nordisk has decided to cut the prices of its semaglutide brands Ozempic and Wegovy recently by 36% and 48% respectively.

Ozempic, developed to manage Type 2 diabetes originally, has gained immense popularity globally due to its ability to aid in weight management.

The dropping of prices came at a time when many Indian drugmakers have introduced generic semaglutide reducing the cost of the drug at war footing as low as 90%.

Sun Pharma has launched Sematrinity, targeting diabetes, in two formulations priced between ₹3,000 and ₹5,200 per month, alongside Noveltreat for weight management, which comes in five dosage forms and is priced between ₹3,600 and ₹8,000 per month.

In a similar vein, Natco Pharma has introduced a pen-based version of its semaglutide generic, priced at ₹4,000 to ₹4,500 per month. Dr Reddy's Laboratories has also entered the space with an injectable pen version called Obeda, aimed exclusively at diabetes management and priced at ₹4,200 per month.

Notably, Novo Nordisk is set to lose patent protection on its blockbuster drugs and the patent expiry is expected to trigger the entry of multiple Indian pharmaceutical companies into the market with lower-cost versions of semaglutide, the active ingredient in both drugs.