Diet and diabetes drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro could also help people struggling with alcohol and opioid abuse, according to a new study.

The weight-loss drugs are linked with reduced rates of excess drinking and opioid overdoses, suggesting they may tamp down substance use cravings too.

New research shows that Ozempic and similar drugs reduce opioid overdoses by 40% and alcohol intoxication by 50% in people with substance use disorders. These medications, often prescribed for diabetes and weight issues,

Dr Fares Qeadan, the paper’s primary author, explains to Popular Science that opioids and alcohol were chosen for the study because “both … interact with reward pathways in the brain that GLP-1 receptor agonists (RAs) are known to influence, which aligns with the hypothesized mechanism of action for these medications.”

Researchers from Loyola University Chicago are adding to the growing evidence suggesting that medications like Ozempic can treat substance abuse. Ozempic — which mimics the body’s naturally occurring GLP-1 hormone to make people feel full and eat less — treats diabetes and can spur weight loss.

Weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic, made by Denmark’s Novo Nordisk, can reduce rates of opioid and alcohol abuse by up to 50%, according to a new study that supports expectations the drugs can offer greater benefits than just weight and diabetes management.

Drugs​ like Mounjaro and Ozempic, which many use for weight loss,​​ may also help patients suffering from addiction, according to a new study.

Drugs such as Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic can cut drug and alcohol abuse by up to 50%, a study found, adding to mounting evidence that the drugs yield health benefits beyond diabetes and weight loss.