VA launches trial to test GLP-1 medication for alcohol use disorder in veterans

Key Points:

• The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is launching a nationwide clinical trial to assess whether semaglutide, a drug approved for Type 2 diabetes and weight management, can effectively treat alcohol use disorder (AUD) in veterans, a condition affecting over 400,000 veterans.
• The trial, called the CRAVE study, will enroll more than 600 veterans with moderate or severe AUD across 18 VA medical centers, administering weekly semaglutide or placebo injections for 24 weeks to evaluate changes in alcohol consumption, health, and quality of life.
• Semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, is being investigated for its potential to influence brain reward pathways related to substance use, with prior research suggesting patients on GLP-1 medications have lower rates of AUD and other substance use disorders.
• The VA cautions veterans against self-medicating with GLP-1 drugs for AUD without medical supervision and emphasizes that larger controlled trials like CRAVE are necessary to confirm the drug’s safety and efficacy for this use.
• Recruitment for the study began on July 28, and interested veterans can contact their local VA medical center or visit ClinicalTrials.gov for more information.