GLP-1 Drugs Show Cross-Addiction Benefits, Study Finds

A study of more than 600,000 U.S. veterans with type 2 diabetes found GLP-1 receptor agonists (such as semaglutide and tirzepatide) are associated with lower risks of developing substance use disorders across alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, nicotine, and opioids, and with fewer severe outcomes (fewer overdoses, hospitalizations, emergency visits, and deaths) among those who already have SUDs. The researchers suggest GLP-1s may blunt cravings via a shared brain pathway, and they call for clinical trials to test GLP-1s as treatments for addiction across substances.