New research shared at a conference in Oxford has shown positive signs of how drugs like Ozempic could help treat alcoholism.
While GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro have revolutionised weight loss for thousands of people, they could also be used to help treat alcoholism.
Professor Luke O'Neill told The Pat Kenny Show that while at a conference in Oxford recently, new research was shared with those in attendance indicating how effective the treatment was.
There were three women in attendance talking about the GLP-1 drugs, including Svetlana Mojsov who is credited as having discovered the biologically active form of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) in the 1980s.
Also in attendance was Lotte Knudsen, the chief scientific researcher at Novo Nordisk who drove the breakthrough development of Ozempic, and Dr Ruth Gimeno, Group Vice President, Diabetes, Obesity & Cardiometabolic Research and Early Clinical Development at Lilly Gateway Labs, who was presenting her findings at the conference.
Dr O'Neill explained Dr Gimeno's findings: "They're making more powerful versions, first of all. There's one, at the moment, three times as powerful as Ozempic. You can imagine how that could take over the market.
"And then the big one was alcoholism. So it helps alcoholics and she showed data of a 50% decrease in alcoholics in the trial.
"Now, can you imagine the societal benefit of that for people who suffer because of this? Not just them, but their loved ones. Your whole life would change.
"They've got a version, something to get bloating and nausea, less side effects and the last thing to make sure of is anti-ageing.
"This week, in mice (not in humans), there's evidence that slows down the ageing process. Now, if that pans out, we'd all be on it eventually.
"But again, you've got to be careful because some of these drugs are a bit powerful and so on. But the whole session ended on a very kind of positive upbeat note."
Main Image: A woman's hands holds many Ozempic syringe pen with needle Picture by: Alamy Stock Photo
