Basic & clinical pharmacology & toxicology

Effects of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists on Alcohol Use Disorder

GLP-1 Therapies Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗OA ↗

Updated

Abstract

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) may offer a novel treatment for (AUD).

  • GLP-1 is a peptide that helps regulate blood sugar levels and feelings of fullness, produced in the intestines and brain.
  • Preclinical studies and case reports suggest potential benefits of GLP-1RAs for individuals with AUD.
  • Register-based cohort studies and brain-imaging data support the involvement of GLP-1RAs in AUD treatment strategies.
  • Ongoing clinical trials are assessing the effects of the GLP-1RA semaglutide on AUD.

Simplified

Key numbers

280 million
280 million
Estimated number of people suffering from worldwide.
29%
29%
Cumulative mortality rate after first hospital contact due to alcohol issues.
45%–90%
45%–90%
Estimated percentage of patients who relapse within the first 3 years of treatment.

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Funding

Competing interests

M.K.K. has no conflict of interest. G.M.K. has received personal honoraria from H. Lundbeck, Sage Biogen and Sanos and serves as chair for SIAB in HBP (personal honorarium). T.V. has been part of speaker's bureaus, served on scientific advisory panels, served as a consultant to and/or received research support from Amgen, Boehringer Ingelheim, Eli Lilly, Gilead, AstraZeneca, Mundipharma, MSD/Merck, Novo Nordisk and SunPharmaceuticals. A.F.‐J. has received an unrestricted research grant from Novo Nordisk to investigate the effects of GLP‐1R stimulation on metabolic disturbances in patients with schizophrenia treated with antipsychotics and serves on an advisory panel for Novo Nordisk (no honorarium).
PubMed

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