2026-05-04 11:42:50

Weight-loss jabs could help stop people from binge drinking.

New research conducted in Denmark has discovered that alcoholics with obesity could reduce their booze intake by as much as 70 per cent if they take the Wegovy jab.

A team led by experts from the Mental Health Centre Copenhagen and Frederiksberg Hospital used semaglutide – the active ingredient in weight-loss jabs Ozempic and Wegovy – on over 100 obese patients seeking treatment for alcohol use disorder.

Half of the participants were given 2.4mg of the drug for six months, whilst the other half were given a placebo.

The experts found that those taking the weight-loss jab had less binge drinking days and had fewer cravings for alcohol compared to those taking the “dummy drug”.

Participants had an average of 17 days of “heavy drinking” in the 30 days prior to the trial, but those given semaglutide for six months saw this figure reduce to five in the subsequent 30-day period.

Those taking the placebo saw their “heavy drinking” days reduce to just nine.

The researchers also found that general alcohol consumption reduced among those taking semaglutide, compared to those taking the placebo.

Professor Anders Fink-Jensen, principal investigator of the study, said: “The results suggest that semaglutide not only affects appetite but also influences the biological mechanisms underlying addiction.”

Independent experts are encouraged by the findings, describing it as the “strongest evidence yet” that semaglutide can aid people with alcohol addiction – but stressed that more research is still needed.

Matt Field, Professor of Psychology at the University of Sheffield, said: “There was no follow-up after semaglutide treatment had finished. This means that we do not know if people reverted to their previous heavy drinking behaviour once they stopped taking the medication.”

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