The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for NeuroscienceNov 12, 2025

GLP-1 Receptor Agonists and Their Potential to Treat Overeating and Addiction

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

Updated Jun 27, 2026

Abstract

Essence

GLP-1 receptor agonists are being investigated as brain-and-periphery acting treatments for binge-type eating and substance use disorders.

Evidence

This symposium overview synthesizes basic science, animal-model, human clinical, and real-world observations on GLP-1R agonists and pathological consummatory behaviors.

Caveat

It is a narrative overview rather than a new controlled efficacy study, so treatment conclusions across eating and substance use disorders remain preliminary.

Simplified

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists have revolutionized the therapeutic landscape of diabetes and obesity, yet their therapeutic potential extends significantly further. Research using human data and animal models indicates that systemically administered GLP-1R agonists access receptors in the periphery and in the brain. The latter site of action underlies the apparent efficacy of GLP-1R agonists to treat pathological consummatory behaviors that lead not only to obesity but also to binge-type eating disorders, alcohol use disorder, and other substance use disorders. This article provides an overview of basic science research, human clinical data, and real-world observations relevant to these topics and presented in a symposium at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience.