Ozempic was first approved to treat type 2 diabetes in 2017, but it’s garnered most of its recognition in recent years as a weight-loss drug. Now, as more people are taking it and scientists are studying its effects in greater detail, the drug is showing promise in helping a variety of diseases. The most recent? Combatting addiction behaviors.
In a new paper published today in the journal Addiction, researchers from Loyola University in Chicago found that for a group of people with opioid use disorder who used Ozempic, they had a 40 percent lower rate of overdose compared to those not on the weight loss drug. Further, in a group of people with alcohol use disorder, those on the medication had a 50 percent lower rate of alcohol intoxication compared to those without a prescription.
