GLP-1 and Alcohol Use Disorder: Current Clinical Trials

Direct Answer

Several real, distinct clinical trials are studying GLP-1 medications for alcohol use disorder (AUD), ranging from completed early-phase studies to a newly launched nationwide trial. This page summarizes the current trial landscape as a reference, not as evidence that any GLP-1 medication is an established AUD treatment.

VA Nationwide Trial (Ongoing)

Sponsor: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Intervention: Semaglutide (weekly injection) vs. placebo
Purpose: Evaluate whether semaglutide reduces alcohol use disorder incidence and severity in veterans
Design: Approximately 24 weeks of treatment, followed by a safety follow-up period
Recruitment status: Recruitment opened July 28, 2026
Population: U.S. military veterans; more than 400,000 veterans nationally carry an AUD diagnosis
Source: VA News, official announcement, July 2026

Lancet Randomized Controlled Trial (Completed)

Intervention: Once-weekly semaglutide plus cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) vs. CBT alone
Population: Adults with alcohol use disorder and comorbid obesity
Participants: 108 enrolled, 88 completed the trial
Finding: Semaglutide combined with CBT significantly reduced heavy drinking days compared to CBT alone
Institution: Led by Copenhagen University Hospital, published as an international collaboration
Published: The Lancet, May 2, 2026
Status: Completed and peer-reviewed

JAMA Psychiatry Phase 2 Trial (Completed)

Intervention: Low-dose once-weekly semaglutide vs. placebo
Population: Non-treatment-seeking adults with alcohol use disorder
Participants: 48 randomized
Finding: Semaglutide reduced alcohol consumption and craving during a laboratory self-administration task, with statistically significant effect sizes
ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05520775
Status: Completed and peer-reviewed; the authors explicitly note this justifies larger trials, not that the question is settled

Johns Hopkins Combination Therapy Trial (Not Yet Recruiting)

Title: Preliminary Safety and Efficacy of Semaglutide and Naltrexone Combination Therapy for Alcohol Use Disorder
Sponsor: Johns Hopkins University
Intervention: Oral GLP-1 agonist plus naltrexone vs. placebo
Design: Phase 2, randomized, quadruple-masked, 4-week inpatient program
ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT07249554
Status: Not yet recruiting as of this writing

What Researchers Are Actually Trying to Determine

Across these trials, the core questions are: whether GLP-1 medications measurably reduce drinking and craving, at what dose, over what duration, in which populations, and how they compare to or combine with existing AUD treatments. Completed trials so far are small to moderate in size; the VA trial represents a larger-scale, real-world test of these earlier findings.

How to Read This Page Honestly

Completed trials show real, statistically meaningful signals in small study populations. That is genuinely different from proof that GLP-1 medications are an effective, approved AUD treatment at scale, which is exactly what the ongoing and upcoming trials are designed to test. Treat completed results as promising early evidence, not a settled conclusion.

For Regulatory Status

See whether any GLP-1 medication is FDA-approved for AUD for the current approval status.

For the Full Evidence Summary

See what the current evidence actually shows for a complete narrative summary of this research area.

References

• ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05520775, NCT07249554
• The Lancet: Once-Weekly Semaglutide vs. Placebo in Alcohol Use Disorder and Comorbid Obesity (May 2, 2026)
• JAMA Psychiatry: Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults With Alcohol Use Disorder
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: VA Launches Trial of GLP-1 Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder (July 2026)

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This article is for general informational purposes and is not medical advice. SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357.