A recent study suggests that Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss medication, Ozempic, may offer an unexpected benefit in addressing the opioid addiction crisis. Research indicates that individuals with a history of opioid abuse who used Ozempic were significantly less likely to experience overdose compared to those using insulin.
The study, published this Wednesday in JAMA Network Open, highlights that patients taking semaglutide—the active component in both Ozempic and Wegovy—were over 50% less likely to overdose than those on insulin. Additionally, semaglutide users showed a 63% reduced risk of overdose compared to individuals on DPP-4 inhibitors, another common diabetes medication.
Led by Rong Xu, a professor of biomedical informatics at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, the research builds on previous findings that linked semaglutide to reductions in alcohol use disorder and smoking. This represents the first large-scale investigation into its impact on opioid overdoses.
The study’s findings suggest that the reduced overdose risk associated with semaglutide extends beyond most other diabetes treatments, with the exception of Eli Lilly’s Trulicity.
The relevance of this research is underscored by the alarming statistics surrounding drug overdoses in the United States. In 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported over 108,000 overdose deaths. Furthermore, preliminary data for the year ending January 2024 indicates that over 76,922 fatal overdoses occurred.
“The number of overdose deaths does not encompass the full extent of the crisis,” remarked Cara Poland, an addiction medicine specialist at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, as reported by Axios. “It also excludes deaths from complications such as bacterial endocarditis related to drug and alcohol use.”
As medications like Ozempic gain traction for their weight-loss benefits, there is growing interest in their potential to mitigate cravings for substances beyond food. Novo Nordisk is currently investigating the drug’s effects on alcohol consumption through an ongoing clinical trial.
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