Popular weight-loss drugs could help treat addiction

Did you know that weight-loss drugs might have the potential to heal the habit of substance abuse?

In a recent study published in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology, researchers examined the potential role of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists (RAs) in treating substance use disorders (SUDs).

SUDs are a public health concern and are characterized by limited therapeutic efficacy and high relapse rates.

GLP-1 RAs, initially developed for type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity, have emerged promising for treating addiction.

Beyond their appetite-suppressing and glucose-lowering effects, GLP-1 RAs induce neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory actions in the central nervous system and gut-related immune-inflammatory signaling via GLP-1 receptors.

In the present study, researchers systematically assessed the therapeutic potential of GLP-1 RAs in SUD treatment.

First, a detailed search was conducted across the Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Cochrane Central Register, Embase, and PsycINFO databases to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs), preclinical studies, and clinical trials with control groups.

The search strategy yielded 2,869 records. Of these, 41 studies met the inclusion criteria through database searching, and one additional eligible clinical study was identified through manual reference tracking, for a total of 42 included studies.

Six were clinical studies, including pilot studies, secondary analyses, and RCTs, and the remaining were preclinical studies, mainly involving rodents.

Studies assessed a wide range of outcomes, comprising neurobiological, clinical, and behavioral domains. Neurobiological outcomes included changes in dopaminergic signaling, neuroinflammatory markers, circulating insulin and GLP-1 levels, and activation of reward-related brain regions.

The study provided a comprehensive overview of evidence on GLP-1 RA use in the treatment of substance use disorders. Preclinical studies consistently support the efficacy of GLP-1 RAs across multiple SUDs while clinical studies suggest potential benefits, particularly in nicotine and alcohol use disorders.