WEIGHT loss jabs slash alcohol cravings and can curb dangerous binge drinking, new research suggests.
The active drug semaglutide, found in Ozempic and Wegovy, cuts the amount people drink in one day by around 40 per cent, the first study of its kind found.
Weight loss jabs have already shown promise for heart attacks, snoring and fertility[/caption]
The ‘wonder’ injectables also dramatically reduced a person’s desire for booze – and smokers taking part puffed less.
It adds to a growing body of evidence that so-called ‘skinny jabs’ may have benefits beyond slimming down or controlling diabetes.
Previous studies have suggested they lower the risk of heart attack or stroke in overweight adults, as well as help to treat snoring, reverse heart failure symptoms, boost fertility and ward off Alzheimer’s.
Senior author Klara Klein said: “These data suggest the potential of semaglutide and similar drugs to fill an unmet need for the treatment of alcohol use disorder.
“Larger and longer studies in broader populations are needed to fully understand the safety and efficacy in people with alcohol use disorder, but these initial findings are promising.”
Scientists at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine followed 48 people with problem drinking who had not been actively seeking treatment.
They all had alcohol use disorder, which can include the inability to stop or control drinking despite negative consequences.
On day one, participants were asked to enjoy their preferred alcoholic drinks over two hours, with instructions to delay drinking if they wished.
They were then randomly assigned to receive weekly, low-dose injections of semaglutide or a placebo for nine weeks, during which time their weekly boozing patterns were measured.
The semaglutide dose was 0.25mg per week for four weeks, 0.5mg per week for four weeks, and 1mg for one week, all given during clinic visits.
Researchers found that semaglutide injections reduced the number of drinks participants consumed on each of their drinking days by 41 per cent, and weekly cravings dropped by 40 per cent.
Nearly 40 per cent of people in the semaglutide group reported no heavy drinking days in the last month of treatment, compared to 20 per cent in the placebo group.
Among those who also smoked cigarettes, patients treated with semaglutide reported smoking less than the placebo group.
Dr Riccardo De Giorgi, clinical lecturer at the University of Oxford, who was not involved in the study, said: “There has been much sensation (and even more noise) about drugs such as semaglutide in the medical field, especially regarding mental health.
“However, their potential use as a mechanistically novel treatment for addiction is perhaps one of the most promising research avenues.”
Everything you need to know about fat jabs
Weight loss jabs are a hot media topic at the moment, with hundreds of success stories from people who shed the pounds.
In March 2023, the NHS announced it would make Wegovy, a drug made by Danish firm Novo Nordisk, available on prescription to thousands of obese Brits.
It contains the drug semaglutide, which is said to have helped reality star Kim Kardashian and Twitter boss Elon Musk lose weight.
Wegovy, which helped a third of people reduce their weight by 20 per cent in trials, is now available from pharmacies like Boots.
How do they work?
The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less and therefore lose weight.
To do this, semaglutide mimics the role of a natural hormone, called GLP-1.
GLP-1 is part of the signalling pathway that tells your body you have eaten, and prepares it to use the energy that comes from your food.
London GP and founder of wellgoodwellbeing.com, Dr Zoe Watson, said: “Your body naturally produces an appetite regulating hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1.
“These jabs work by regulating your appetite, which can lead to eating fewer calories and losing weight.”
Aren’t they diabetes drugs?
Semaglutide, the active drug in Wegovy, was originally sold under the name Ozempic specifically for diabetes patients.
But people started noticing it helped suppress their appetites, stopping them eating as much and helping them shed the pounds.
Novo Nordisk then developed Wegovy, which contains the same chemical but at higher doses specifically to aid weight loss.
Wegovy is not prescribed for diabetes patients.
Can I get them?
Wegovy is offered on prescription to obese adults given specialist weight loss treatment.
The NHS currently also offers a similar drug called Saxenda, or liraglutide.
Both are only available throught specialist weight management services, which means you have to be referred to clinics led by experts.
GPs can’t prescribe them on their own, Dr Watson said.
The jabs have to be taken as part of an overall programme to help with lifestyle changes and psychological support to get the best effect from the medication prescribed.
Are there any risks?
Like all medicines, the jabs do not come without side effects.
Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at patient.info, said: “One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.”
Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia.
What other options are there?
Mounjaro (brand name for tirzepatide) also came onto the market in early 2024.
Like Wegovy, tirzepatide stems from a drug originally designed to treat diabetes.
The weekly injection helped overweight people drop more than two stone in 18 months.
It is available with to order with a prescription online from pharmacies including Superdrug and LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor.
It works in a similar way to Wegovy and Saxenda, but is more effective.
Dr Mitra Dutt from LloydsPharmacy says: “Based on clinical trials, 96 per cent of people were able to lose more than five per cent of their body fat using Mounjaro. In similar trials, 84 per cent of people lost more than five per cent of their body weight on Wegovy, and 60 per cent on Saxenda.
“Mounjaro works by activating two hormonal receptors (GIP and GLP-1), which enhance insulin production, improve insulin sensitivity, and work to decrease food intake.”
The new study, published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, comes after UK figures last week showed deaths from alcohol have reached a record high.
Some 10,473 were registered in the UK in 2023 which were the direct consequence of alcohol, such as alcoholic liver disease.
This was four per cent higher than the year before.
Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, chairman of the Alcohol Health Alliance UK, said: “We welcome any new research developments to help people with alcohol use disorders.
“While the evidence on the efficacy of these new drugs remains limited, we have decades of robust research showing how to help people with alcohol problems and prevent alcohol harm more broadly by tackling the affordability, availability and marketing of alcohol.
“We continue to urge the Government to fulfil their promise to focus on prevention, which will always be better, and cheaper, than a cure.
“Further research on the drug’s mechanism of action might also help to grow our understanding of the cause of alcohol dependence, which blights the lives of so many people, their families and their communities.”
