A paper published Wednesday offers the strongest evidence yet that this is more than just anecdote, or a placebo effect: It found that semaglutide, the substance in Ozempic and the weight loss drug Wegovy, could in fact help curb alcohol cravings. It is the first randomized controlled trial on semaglutide and alcohol consumption.

For years, people taking Ozempic or other drugs in the same class for diabetes and weight loss have noticed the medicines don’t just curb their desire to eat; for some, they also lead them to drink less alcohol.

"The popularity of Ozempic and other GLP-1 receptor agonists increases the chances of broad adoption of these treatments for alcohol use disorder." His team published its findings Feb. 12 in JAMA Psychiatry.