Ozempic and similar products cut opioid and alcohol abuse by up to half, according to research that adds to evidence of the hugely popular blockbuster drugs’ broad potential beyond tackling obesity and diabetes.
An analysis of more than 500,000 people with a history of opioid-use disorder showed that more than 8,000 participants who were separately prescribed so-called GLP-1 drugs, such as Ozempic, had a 40 per cent lower rate of opioid overdose than those who did not.
In the more than 5,000 participants suffering from alcohol abuse and using a GLP-1 drug, there was a 50 per cent lower rate of intoxication than for those without a prescription.