Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic could have another benefit: reducing opioid overdoses
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- A new study has found that Novo Nordisk’s (NVO) GLP-1 for type 2 diabetes, Ozempic (semaglutide), may have a surprising additional benefit: It may reduce the risk of opioid overdoses.
- A new study found that when compared to other diabetes meds, patients with diabetes and opioid use disorder had a “significantly lower” opioid overdose risk.
- The results, published in JAMA Network Open, examined other popular types of diabetes meds including insulin, metformin, dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 inhibitors (DPP-4is), sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2is), sulfonylureas, and thiazolidinediones, as well as older GLP-1s such as Novo’s Victoza/Saxenda (liraglutide) and Eli Lilly’s (LLY) Trulicity (dulaglutide)
- The reason why semaglutide may help with opioid use disorder is that a rodent study of liraglutide indicated that the drug influences dopamine reward signaling in the brain, decreasing the satisfaction opioid drugs can provide.
- Investigators noted that given only about 25% of individuals with OUD receive medication treatment, there is an urgent need for alternative therapies.