Can Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Ozempic help curb the devastating addiction crisis? New research says yes – Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO), Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY)

A new study has found that people with a history of opioid abuse who Novo Nordisk'S NVO Ozempic – weight loss drug The likelihood of an overdose was significantly lower, adding to growing evidence that the drug, used primarily to treat diabetes and for weight loss, could help control drug dependence.

According to the study published on Wednesday in JAMA network openedPatients taking semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and the weight-loss drug Wegovy, were less than half as likely to overdose as those taking insulin. Patients taking semaglutide were 63% less likely to overdose than those taking DPP-4 inhibitors, another common class of diabetes medications.

Rong XuProfessor of biomedical informatics at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, led the research that previously linked semaglutide to reductions in alcohol abuse and smoking. This is the first large-scale study to examine opioid overdoses.

The reduced risk associated with semaglutide persisted for most diabetes treatments, with the exception of Eli Lilly and Co. LLY Truthaccording to the study, which was first reported by Bloomberg.

Also read: Novo Nordisk CEO faces Senate investigation over high prices for Ozempic and Wegovy; hearing scheduled for Tuesday

Why it is important: Drug overdose deaths in the US at historic high

In 2022, more than 108,000 people died from an overdose, according to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC). In the one-year period ending January 2024, there were over 76,922 fatal drug overdoses.

These overdose deaths are only part of the severity of the problem.

“This number of overdoses refers only to overdoses. It does not take into account the people who die from bacterial endocarditis related to their drug and alcohol use,” said Cara Polandan addiction medicine doctor at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, according to Axios.

As new weight-loss drugs like Ozempic become more popular, so too does interest in their potential to curb cravings for substances other than food. Novo Nordisk is also studying the drug's effects on alcohol consumption in an ongoing clinical trial.

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