A study suggests that Novo Nordisk's diabetes drug Ozempic may decrease the likelihood of opioid overdoses.

• A new study suggests that using Novo Nordisk's diabetes drug Ozempic may decrease the risk of opioid overdoses in certain patients.
• The ongoing opioid epidemic could potentially be addressed by using semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, as a new alternative treatment for opioid use disorder.
• GLP-1s, a widely used treatment for diabetes and obesity, may have additional health benefits beyond blood sugar control and weight loss, according to new data.

A new study released Wednesday suggests that Ozempic, a blockbuster diabetes drug, may decrease the risk of opioid overdoses in certain patients, making it a potential alternative treatment for opioid use disorder.

A study published in JAMA Network Open found that the active ingredient in Ozempic, semaglutide, was associated with a "significantly lower" risk of opioid overdose compared to other diabetes medications in individuals with both Type 2 diabetes and opioid use disorder.

The ongoing U.S. opioid epidemic, declared a public health emergency in 2017, could potentially be addressed with Ozempic, according to a study. While there are currently three effective medications to prevent overdoses from opioid use disorder, some patients do not use them, said lead study co-author Dr. Rong Xu, a biomedical informatics professor at Case Western Reserve University.

In 2022, only a quarter of patients with opioid use disorder received recommended medications for it, and many discontinued treatment within six months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Meanwhile, the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics reports that opioids are responsible for approximately 72% of overdose deaths in the U.S.

The research findings suggest that GLP-1s, a widely used treatment for diabetes and obesity, may have additional health benefits beyond regulating blood sugar and promoting weight loss. Studies conducted by Novo Nordisk and independent researchers have explored the potential of these drugs in patients with various chronic conditions, including kidney disease, sleep apnea, and addictive behaviors such as nicotine and alcohol use.

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University and the National Institutes of Health analyzed the electronic records of nearly 33,000 patients who were prescribed semaglutide or other diabetes medications between December 2017 and June 2023. The study was not funded by Novo Nordisk.

Out of the 3,000 people with diabetes, 3,000 were given semaglutide injections, while the rest received treatments such as insulins or older GLP-1s. This includes dulaglutide, the active ingredient in Eli Lilly's drug Trulicity, and liraglutide, the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk's Victoza.

The study examined the number of opioid overdose cases among patients who stopped treatment with semaglutide or other drugs during a one-year period. Specifically, there were 42 cases of opioid overdose among a group of patients who received semaglutide, compared to 97 cases among a group who received insulins.

Xu stated that patients who took semaglutide had a 58% lower risk of opioid overdose.

The study has limitations due to its dependence on electronic health record data, as Xu pointed out.

The study suggests that more research is required to determine the effectiveness of Ozempic and other GLP-1s in treating opioid use disorder. Specifically, clinical trials that randomly assign patients to receive these treatments are necessary to confirm their benefits and determine whether they are beneficial to the general opioid use disorder population or only certain patients with the condition.

"According to Dr. Nora Volkow, the effectiveness of GLP-1 medications in treating opioid use disorders and preventing overdoses is uncertain. However, preliminary findings from a study suggest that GLP-1 medications may be beneficial in preventing opioid overdoses."

The researchers plan to investigate semaglutide's effectiveness in treating opioid use disorder and obesity, as stated by Xu.