Ozempic has been called a “magic bullet,” with a growing body of research showing that it may help treat a wide range of health conditions. Now, new research shows it may have yet another use. It lowers the risk of overdose for people with the following diseases: opioid use disorder.
Although the findings are preliminary, the U.S. combating the opioid epidemic For decades. As a result, any promising treatment option feels like a major step forward.
So what is the relationship between Ozempic and opioid use disorder? Experts break it down.
meet an expert: Pat AusemVice President of Consumer Clinical Content Development at Partnership to End Addiction. Medat MichaelMD, is a pain management expert and medical director of the nonsurgical program at the Center for Spine Health at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California. Tyler J. VariscoPharm.D., Assistant Professor in the Department of Policy, Pharmacy and Health Outcomes and Assistant Director of Research and Development at the Center for Prescription Drug Misuse Education and Research at the University of Houston School of Pharmacy. Gitanjali SrivastavaDoctor of Medicine, Director of Obesity Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
What did the study find?
The research published in JAMA network open On Sept. 25, researchers analyzed six years of health records for nearly 33,000 people with opioid use disorder. type 2 diabetes. Researchers found that people who were prescribed Semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy) had a significantly lower risk of opioid overdose compared to people taking one of eight other diabetes drugs.
The findings suggest that semaglutide has “potential therapeutic value in preventing overdose,” the researchers wrote in the study.
Does Ozempic reduce the risk of opioid overdose?
probably. It’s important to note that this is one study, and even the researchers note in the paper that the association needs further investigation.
Pat Aussem, Vice President of Consumer Clinical Content Development Partnership to end addictionI agree. “These results are preliminary and based primarily on observational data,” she says. “More rigorous clinical trials are needed to fully understand how semaglutide can be included in treatment plans for opioid use disorder.”
This study compared semaglutide to a wide range of antidiabetic drugs, including other antidiabetic drugs. GLP-1 agonist (a type of drug that helps manage blood sugar levels), notes Tyler J. Varisco, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Division of Pharmaceutical Policy Outcomes and assistant director of research and development in prescription drug abuse education and research. Center at the University of Houston College of Pharmacy. “Additional research, including clinical trials, is needed before clinical decisions can be made from the results of this study,” he added.
Orsem emphasizes that there are other proven treatment options for people with opioid use disorder. “While the potential for new drugs is exciting, there are effective but largely underutilized treatments for opioid use disorder,” she says. “Rather than waiting for the controlled clinical trials needed to understand which addiction profiles benefit from semaglutide, we need to advocate for its widespread use in existing addictions.”
There are now many effective, safe and affordable drugs that reduce the risk of death in people with opioid use disorder, such as buprenorphine, which has been reliably demonstrated in clinical trials to reduce the risk of overdose. It’s out. ” says Varisco. “We believe we need to pay more attention to improving access to effective medicines by reforming policies and processes of care to better support patients with opioid use disorder. Masu.”
Why is there a link between Ozempic and opioid overdose?
They say the drug likely affects the painkiller cravings experienced by people with opioid use disorder. Medat MichaelMD, a pain management expert and medical director of the nonsurgical program at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center’s Spine Health Center in Fountain Valley, California.
This is a sentiment shared by Nora D. Borkow, MD, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health. wrote an essay for women’s health In March about the bright future of GLP-1 drugs (such as Ozempic) in the treatment of substance use disorders. There is “a lot of overlap” between the mechanisms that drive us to eat and the mechanisms that drive us to take drugs, and both involve the brain’s motivation and reward systems. “Addiction essentially hijacks these pathways, activating the system more intensely than daily rewards (eating food, having social interaction, etc.),” she writes.
However, research suggests that GLP-1 may alter motivational pathways.
“So if there are similar mechanisms that drive us to overeat and take drugs, and GLP-1 agonists act on the mechanisms of overeating, GLP-1 agonists could potentially also help suppress that urge.” “It’s no surprise that there is a tendency to misuse drugs,” Borkow wrote.
When you take addictive drugs like opioids, you get a “dopamine surge,” which can lead to future cravings, Michael says. “But semaglutide acts on the same receptors that activate the reward system,” he says. “Maybe your desires will change.”
Experts are excited about the potential future use of semaglutide to treat opioid use disorder, and Gitanjali Srivastava, M.D., chief of obesity medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, said the study’s conclusions were “very promising.” He said that there is.
Orsem added that if future studies confirm the results, semaglutide could become a “valuable tool in a holistic approach to addiction treatment,” but that it is not a stand-alone solution. He emphasized that it would not be possible.
“Addressing substance use disorders often requires a combination of medication, therapy, and community support,” she says.
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