The recent study published in JAMA Network Open presents compelling evidence linking Novo Nordisk's diabetes medication, Ozempic (semaglutide), to a reduced risk of opioid overdose among patients with Type 2 diabetes and opioid use disorder. Analyzing electronic health records from nearly 33,000 patients, the research indicates that those prescribed semaglutide experienced significantly fewer overdose incidents compared to individuals receiving alternative diabetes treatments . This finding is particularly relevant given the escalating opioid epidemic in the United States.
The findings add to a limited but growing body of evidence that the blockbuster medications may be more than just appetite suppressants. Recently, a small number of studies have suggested the medications can help people cut down on potentially harmful behaviors including drinking and smoking.
But the paper’s authors, including researchers at Case Western Reserve University and Nora Volkow, the director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, cautioned that the link between GLP-1 drugs and prevention of overdose deaths is “unclear” and that more research is needed, including randomized controlled trials.
The study results also add to mounting evidence that a highly popular class of diabetes and obesity treatments called GLP-1s may have several health benefits beyond regulating blood sugar and promoting weight loss. Novo Nordisk, its rival Eli Lilly and independent researchers have been racing to study those drugs’ potential in patients with chronic conditions ranging from kidney disease and sleep apnea to addictive behaviors such as nicotine and alcohol use.
In the study released Wednesday, 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.
About 107,500 people died from drug overdoses nationally in 2023, mostly from opioids, according to the CDC. Despite effective medications to prevent overdoses from OUD, the CDC estimates only a quarter of those with OUD receive them and about half discontinue treatment within six months.
“Not everyone receives or responds to them,” said Xu, also director of the medical school’s Center for AI in Drug Discovery. “As a result, alternative medications to help people treat opioid use disorder and prevent overdosing are crucial. Therefore, our findings suggest that it is important to continue studying semaglutide as a possible new treatment for combating this terrible epidemic.”
“Alternative medications to help people treat opioid use disorder and prevent overdosing are crucial,” said Rong Xu, a co-leader of the study and the professor of biomedical informatics at Case Western. “Therefore, our findings suggest that it is important to continue studying semaglutide as a possible new treatment for combating this terrible epidemic.”
Read more
Southwest Airlines will reduce service and staffing in Atlanta to cut costs A photograph of 4,000 dead birds in Toronto has won an international photography awardSarah H
Also on site :
- Scientists Reveal Teeth Originated from Ancient Fish Body Armo
- 4 mental effects of fraud – and how to heal after being scammed
- Viral nighttime mouth-taping trend poses serious risks, scientists warn