Addiction – CancerObesityConnection.org

Addiction and Obesity Drugs

Papers from PubMed – February 13, 2024 – semaglutide (in title) OR tirzepatide (in title) AND addiction

Patient Perceptions of Ozempic (Semaglutide) for Weight Loss: Mixed Methods Analysis of Online Medication Reviews January 9, 2026
CONCLUSIONS: This study presents a novel application of infoveillance methods to characterize real-world patient attitudes toward off-label Ozempic use. Satisfaction was driven primarily by perceived effectiveness rather than tolerability. Key limitations are the self-selected nature of the sample, reliance on anonymous, self-reported data, and the lack of demographic, dosing, or treatment-duration information. Nonetheless, these findings […]
Abanoub J Armanious
Tirzepatide reduces alcohol drinking and relapse-like behaviours in rodents January 8, 2026
BACKGROUND: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) remains a major public health problem, with few effective medications currently available. However, peptides of the gut-brain axis appear to offer promising therapeutic targets for AUD as they influence the mesolimbic reward circuitry.
Christian E Edvardsson
Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists: A Novel Indication for Substance Use Disorders? December 16, 2025
Recent evidence suggests that Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) can assist in alcohol and related substance use disorders (ASUD). GLP-1RAs act on the same receptor targets as native GLP-1, but last from several hours to a week, compared to the 1.5-5 minutes for naturally occurring GLP-1. These receptor targets are the GLP-1 G-protein coupled receptors. […]
Farage Ftiha
The effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RAs) on alcohol-related outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis December 5, 2025
CONCLUSION: Observational studies suggest a decrease in alcohol-related events, but RCTs have effects on alcohol consumption and craving that remain non-significant. Larger RCTs are needed.
Binayak Sinha
Prolonged Semaglutide Treatment Reveals Stage-Dependent Changes to Feeding Behavior and Metabolic Adaptations in Male Mice December 2, 2025
Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists have transformed obesity treatment, but weight loss responses to these drugs vary widely. Elucidating behavioral and metabolic phenotypes throughout GLP-1R agonist treatment could identify mechanisms underlying this response spectrum. We characterized food intake, meal patterns, energy expenditure (EE), and substrate oxidation during prolonged semaglutide treatment and posttreatment recovery in […]
Harsh Shah
Semaglutide for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH): Estimating eligibility from the 2021-2023 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) December 1, 2025
No abstract
Joel W Hughes
Efficacy of the GLP-1 receptor agonist, semaglutide, in abstinence from illicit and nonprescribed opioids in an outpatient population with OUD: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial protocol October 31, 2025
BACKGROUND: Standard medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) provide effective treatment pathways for recovery compared with no treatment or behavioral therapies alone. That said, people who continue to use non-prescribed opioids despite treatment with MOUD are at greater risk for high attrition and OUD-related harms. Novel, more effective approaches are needed for the treatment of […]
Christopher S Freet
Semaglutide versus caloric restriction-induced weight loss: insights into effects on skeletal muscle mass and function October 25, 2025
No abstract
Harsh Shah
Effects of semaglutide on mental health October 6, 2025
Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, approved and currently actively used worldwide for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity. With the growing popularity of the drug, reports of both adverse and beneficial effects of the drug on mental health have become more frequent. The purpose of this study is to review […]
V A Rozhdestvenskaya
Rewriting the will: Autonomy and pharmacological desire modification in semaglutide use October 1, 2025
This article responds to Ryan's and Savulescu's claim that semaglutide enhances autonomy by reducing problematic desires. Drawing on Frankfurt's hierarchical model of autonomy, this article argues that pharmacological alignment between first-order and higher-order desires can only be autonomy-enhancing if individuals also endorse the process by which their desires are reshaped. Further, it contends that socially […]
Julia Frant
Semaglutide and survival in lean type 2 diabetes: emerging enigma September 24, 2025
No abstract
André P Pacheco
Mechanisms of GLP-1 in Modulating Craving and Addiction: Neurobiological and Translational Insights August 22, 2025
Substance use disorders (SUDs) remain a major public health challenge, with existing pharmacotherapies offering limited long-term efficacy. Traditional treatments focus on dopaminergic systems but often overlook the complex interplay between metabolic signals, neuroplasticity, and conditioned behaviors that perpetuate addiction. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), originally developed for type 2 diabetes and obesity, have recently emerged […]
Gabriel Amorim Moreira Alves
GLP-1 RA Medication Associations With Hazardous Alcohol Drinking Reductions in Patients With Overweight or Obesity: A Prospective Observational Study August 12, 2025
CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the association between GLP-1 RA treatment and reduced alcohol consumption, particularly for individuals with very hazardous alcohol drinking levels. A better understanding of the acute mechanisms underlying GLP-1 RA therapies and randomized clinical trials may aid in the development of pharmacotherapies for hazardous drinking beyond patients with diabetes and/or obesity.
Andrea C King
Assessment of the Potential of GLP-1 Analogs in the Treatment of Addictions: A Literature Review August 6, 2025
CONCLUSION: GLP-1 analogs represent a promising therapeutic option for the treatment of SUDs. While long-term adverse effects are not yet fully understood, they show potential in addressing the limited success rates of existing alcohol use disorder pharmacotherapies and the overall lack of effective treatment options for SUDs. While early clinical trials provide promising insights, further […]
Isabel Noemi Torres
Efficacy and Safety of Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Agonists for Psychiatric Symptoms: A Systematic Review July 10, 2025
CONCLUSION: GLP-1 RAs showed mixed and inconclusive effects on psychiatric symptoms. Although some studies suggested potential benefits, others reported null findings. Given the variability across trials, further research is needed to clarify their therapeutic potential.
Shakila Meshkat
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist semaglutide through the lens of psychiatry: a systematic review of potential benefits and risks June 27, 2025
Semaglutide (SEM), a long-acting glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, affects neural circuits regulating food intake and satiety, and it provides neuroprotective effects; however, SEM may influence psychological functioning, possibly leading to psychopathological symptoms. This review examines studies on SEM, focusing on its effects on mental health and potential neuropsychiatric side effects. A systematic search in PubMed […]
Matteo Carminati
Semaglutide for clozapine-treated patients with schizophrenia June 12, 2025
No abstract
Sri Mahavir Agarwal
Efficacy and safety of semaglutide versus placebo for people with schizophrenia on clozapine with obesity (COaST): a phase 2, multi-centre, participant and investigator- blinded, randomised controlled trial in Australia June 12, 2025
BACKGROUND: People with schizophrenia have a 16-20-year reduction in life expectancy, primarily due to cardiometabolic disease. Clozapine, the most efficacious antipsychotic for treatment-resistant schizophrenia, is associated with weight gain and metabolic dysfunction. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, including semaglutide, contribute to substantial weight loss in the general population, but their effect and safety profile in people […]
Dan Siskind
The role of dulaglutide in the treatment of alcohol use disorder: a case report May 16, 2025
Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, medications commonly employed in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, have illustrated several additional benefits, including weight loss and potentially reduce addictive cravings. Several studies have indicated that GLP-1 receptor agonists may be effective in treating Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), for which current pharmacologic therapies are often inadequate. […]
Olivia Hill
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and alcohol use disorders: An emerging unexpected beneficial effect May 14, 2025
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are increasingly used for the management of people living with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and/or obesity. Numerous concordant animal and human studies suggest that GLP-1RAs could reduce the risk of addiction, especially alcohol use disorders (AUD). This comprehensive review aims at summarising the known effects of GLP-1RAs on AUD. […]
André J Scheen