Semaglutide Shows Promise as a Potential Alcohol Use Disorder Medication
Intramural scientists at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), and collaborators from The Scripps Research Institute, found that semaglutide reduces alcohol consumption and binge-like drinking in a rodent model of alcohol misuse. Published in the June 2023 issue of the journal JCI Insight, the study adds to growing preclinical evidence that the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) system plays a role in alcohol and other substance use disorders, and that GLP-1 receptor agonists show potential for treating people with alcohol use disorder (AUD).
GLP-1 is a gut hormone that stimulates insulin secretion after eating, which promotes a feeling of fullness, helps to regulate blood sugar, and reduces hunger cravings. Semaglutide and other GLP-1 agonists—medications that bind to GLP-1 receptors and mimic their effects—are currently used as treatments for diabetes and obesity.
“Parts of the brain that drive eating behaviors overlap extensively with the drive to use alcohol or other substances,” explained Lorenzo Leggio, M.D., Ph.D., and Leandro Vendruscolo, Pharm.D., Ph.D., two of the senior authors of the study. They added that there is also overlap between the brain mechanisms that regulate overeating and those that contribute to the development and maintenance of substance use disorders, including AUD. Dr. Leggio is Chief of the joint NIDA/NIAAA Clinical Psychoneuroendocrinology and Neuropsychopharmacology Section. He also serves as the NIDA Clinical Director and Deputy Scientific Director. Dr. Vendruscolo is Chief of the Stress and Addiction Neuroscience Unit, a joint laboratory of NIDA and NIAAA.
Previous rodent studies demonstrated that GLP-1 receptor agonists suppressed the rewarding effects of alcohol and reduced alcohol consumption. Dr. Leggio and his colleagues noted that, compared with other GLP-1 receptor agonists, semaglutide is more potent, has a higher affinity for its receptor, and is longer acting. Together, these characteristics make semaglutide a promising candidate for preclinical investigation and clinical translational studies in people with AUD.
In the current study, the researchers demonstrated that semaglutide reduced binge-like alcohol drinking in both male and female mice, and that the effect was dose-dependent (i.e., greater amounts of semaglutide led to greater reductions in binge alcohol intake). The researchers also tested semaglutide in rats that were made dependent on alcohol through long-term exposure to alcohol vapor. They found that semaglutide reduced alcohol intake in this animal model, again with no sex differences.
Dr. Leggio’s team concluded that “the present finding that semaglutide suppresses alcohol intake in different animal models of alcohol misuse provides compelling support for testing semaglutide in future clinical trials in people with AUD.”
References
Chuong V, Farokhnia M, Khom S, Pince CL, Elvig SK, Vlkolinsky R, Marchette RC, Koob GF, Roberto M, Vendruscolo LF, Leggio L. The glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogue semaglutide reduces alcohol drinking and modulates central GABA neurotransmission. JCI Insight. 2023;8(12):e170671. PubMed PMID: 37192005
In this Issue
Combining Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment With Recovery Management in Primary Care Settings Improves Outcomes
Alcohol screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) can be an effective method for identifying persons either at risk for or with alcohol-related problems and for connecting them to treatment. Recent data suggest, however, that while screening for alcohol misuse is common in primary care and other health care settings, patients are less likely to be provided a brief intervention for problematic drinking and even more unlikely to be referred to or receive treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD).
Canadian Official Visits Clinical Center, Learns About Alcohol Research
The Honorable Ya’ara Saks, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health for Canada (left), toured the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center on Nov. 13, 2023.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Signs Letter of Intent With French Science Agency
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has signed a letter of intent (LOI) with its French counterpart, Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale (National Institute of Health and Medical Research), also known as Inserm.
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism Releases Web Resource for Middle School
Underage drinking is a significant public health problem in the United States. As part of its efforts to raise awareness of and combat underage drinking, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has launched NIAAA for Middle School. NIAAA for Middle School is an online resource that helps parents, caregivers, and teachers introduce and reinforce key messages about peer pressure and skills for resisting it, as well as about other important topics related to underage drinking.