Individuals utilizing the medication Ozempic have reported a surprising yet positive side effect: a noticeable reduction in their alcohol intake. Drinking less.

A recent study published on Wednesday provides compelling evidence that this observation is not merely anecdotal or a case of the placebo effect. The research indicates that semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and the weight-loss medication Wegovy, may assist in reducing alcohol cravings. This study marks the first randomized controlled trial investigating semaglutide’s relationship with alcohol consumption.

The researchers followed a group of 48 adults diagnosed with alcohol use disorder, a condition characterized by the inability to manage drinking habits. Participants were split into two groups: one received low doses of semaglutide, while the other received placebo injections. Each subject spent two hours in a lab filled with their favorite alcoholic drinks — once prior to initiating the drug and once afterward. Additionally, participants tracked their daily alcohol consumption over a span of nine weeks.

While those taking semaglutide maintained a similar frequency of drinking compared to the placebo group, by the study’s second month, those on semaglutide reported nearly a 30 percent decrease in their alcohol consumption on days when they did drink, in contrast to an approximate 2 percent reduction observed in the placebo group. Furthermore, participants on semaglutide were more prone to experience fewer heavy drinking days and to report diminished cravings for alcohol.

The impact on alcohol use surpassed the researchers’ expectations, particularly when compared to earlier findings related to other treatments for alcohol use disorder, noted Christian Hendershot, director of clinical research at the University of Southern California Institute for Addiction Science and the study’s lead author.

With the growing volume of research surrounding drugs like semaglutide and their effects on alcohol consumption, it’s hard to keep pace, remarked W. Kyle Simmons, a pharmacology and physiology professor at Oklahoma State University, who is currently conducting his own trial on the medication’s influence on alcohol use disorder.