GLP-1 Drugs Shown to Significantly Reduce Alcohol Consumption in New Study

File photo dated 16/10/24 of Semaglutide (GLP-1) weight-loss drug Wegovy. (Photo: Press Association via AP Images)

A study published by Danish researchers on Friday suggests that semaglutide drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic can significantly reduce “heavy drinking days” and alcohol cravings. The study is the latest in a growing body of research that’s found a strong link between sustained GLP-1 use and reduced alcohol dependence.

The trial, findings of which were published by The Lancet, was conducted among 108 adults with obesity seeking treatment for alcohol use. Over a period of 26 weeks, half of the participants were given a once-weekly shot of GLP-1 medication, while the other half were administered a placebo.

According to the study, patients who received semaglutide experienced an average of five heavy drinking days during the trial, compared to nine days in the placebo group (a “heavy drinking day” is defined by the CDC as four or more drinks for women or five or more drinks for men). Overall alcohol consumption differed between the two groups as well, with semaglutide recipients dropping to 650 grams during the trial versus placebo recipients dropping to 1,175 grams.

At the onset of the trial, patients in both groups had an average of 17 heavy drinking days per month.

Interestingly, the study did not find a significant correlation between semaglutide use and nicotine cravings, despite a growing consensus that the two may be linked. It is also worth noting that the study was at least partially funded by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the owner and manufacturer of Ozempic and Wegovy.

“To our knowledge, this RCT [Randomized Control Trial] is the first to show that once-weekly semaglutide reduces heavy drinking days and WHO drinking-risk levels in treatment-seeking patients with alcohol use disorder and comorbid obesity,” the researchers wrote.

“This finding adds to the growing evidence for use of GLP-1 receptor agonists in alcohol use disorder, supporting an expanded indication for semaglutide, potentially affecting millions of individuals, given the global burden of alcohol use disorder and comorbid obesity.”

Since their introduction in 2017, it’s been widely speculated that GLP-1 drugs can tame a wide variety of cravings: Cigarettes, nail-biting, online shopping and even gambling. These rumors have, for the most part, gone unverified.

The connection between alcohol use and semaglutide is one of the few purported “wonder drug” benefits that has been repeatedly observed in lab trials. In 2025, a pilot study found that GLP-1 drugs slowed the speed at which alcohol enters the bloodstream, thus slowing its effects on the brain. A seperate study conducted by Yale School of Medicine researchers found that GLP-1 drugs helped protect the liver by reducing an enzyme that metabolizes alcohol.