GLP-1 Drugs Offer New Promise for Addiction Treatment While Highlighting the Need for More Treatment Options
There is a lot of well-deserved excitement around the arrival of the GLP-1 drugs. These newest players on the block have the potential to treat both obesity and addiction. The GLP-1s, which is short for “glucagon-like peptide-1,” are composed of a new class of medications that lower food cravings and possibly addiction cravings by mimicking the pancreatic hormone known as glucagon, which regulates satiety and reward. Recent studies with mice demonstrate that GLP-1s also significantly decrease alcohol intake. Preliminary studies with humans sponsored by the National Institute of Health (NIH) reflect similar findings.
The addiction treatment community is thrilled. Providers are calling and texting me daily asking for more details on GLP-1 use as it applies to addiction treatment. Physicians and patients alike are chomping at the bit. When I attended the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) 2024 annual conference in Dallas this March, the lecture on GLP-1s and addiction was a jam packed, standing room only audience.
I’m really excited about the potential these new medications offer. However, the level of anticipation and hope surrounding the GLP-1s also reflects a much larger problem. There is a dearth of medication treatment options for addiction, and a dire need for more choices.
For comparison, there are almost sixty FDA approved medications for type two diabetes. Type two diabetes and alcohol use disorder are both chronic health conditions that affect millions of Americans. Guess how many FDA approved medications there are for alcohol use disorder? Three. That’s right- only three!
We should all be happy about the arrival of the GLP-1s and the hope they provide for those suffering from chronic medical conditions, including diabetes, obesity, and substance use disorders. But remember-the GLP-1s were initially researched and approved for… (can you guess?) … diabetes.
This is an opportunity for us to examine the critical need for more medication treatment options for addiction. Like diabetes, addiction is a complex, heterogenous disorder that requires a myriad of medication and biopsychosocial support options. Increased variety of medication pathways widens the door to success. Michael Jordan famously said, “If you accept the expectations of others, you will never change the outcome.” When it comes to addiction treatment, it’s high time we start raising expectations, and outcomes.