DENVER — A weight-loss drug used to regard weight problems and diabetes has proven promise to regard some other dysfunction: opioid dependancy.
Early effects from a small scientific trial, offered February 17 at the once a year assembly of the American Affiliation for the Development of Science, recommend {that a} shut relative of the weight-loss medicine Wegovy and Ozempic considerably lessened cravings for opioids in other folks with opioid use dysfunction.
“For them to have any time after they could be freed from that yearning appears to be very hopeful,” Patricia “Sue” Grigson, a behavioral neuroscientist at Penn State School of Medication in Hershey mentioned on the convention. Nearly all of drug overdose deaths in america are because of opioids (SN: 2/14/24).
The drug, known as liraglutide, mimics a hormone known as GLP-1 that the physique releases after other folks devour. Wegovy and Ozempic — logo names for semaglutide, a molecule that induces weight reduction extra successfully than liraglutide — additionally imitate the hormone.
It’s unclear precisely how the medicine paintings with regards to weight reduction, however researchers assume such GLP-1 dupes suggested the physique and mind to make other folks really feel complete (SN: 12/13/23).
There are hints that such medicine may just paintings for dependancy, too. Other people taking Wegovy or Ozempic have reported lessened want for now not simply meals but in addition alcohol and nicotine. What’s extra, Grigson and associates confirmed in a prior find out about in rats that liraglutide can reduce down on heroin-seeking habits, possibly via converting the animals’ mind task (SN: 8/30/23).
To check whether or not liraglutide would possibly paintings in other folks as a remedy for opioid dependancy, Grigson and associates gave the drug to volunteers being handled for opioid use dysfunction on the Caron Remedy Heart in Wernersville, Pa. The workforce analyzed information from 20 other folks, 10 of whom have been slated to obtain expanding drug doses over 19 days. The rest 10 other folks won a placebo.
At upper doses of liraglutide, sufferers dropped out of the trial in large part because of gastrointestinal signs together with nausea, a recognized facet impact of those medicine. Nonetheless, the remedy started decreasing opioid cravings on the lowest dose, Grigson mentioned, and want for opioids was once lowered via 30 p.c total.
That’s identical to the impact of about 14 days of in depth remedy at a residential middle, Grigson mentioned.
The effects want to be showed in better trials, she mentioned. The workforce additionally hopes to take a look at out different GLP-1 medicine, that could be simpler and include fewer unintended effects, and come with other folks with other ranges of dependancy.