A groundbreaking international clinical trial is testing whether blockbuster weight loss medications like Ozempic could also treat alcohol addiction and halt the progression of alcohol-related liver disease, one of Australia’s fastest growing health crises. The study, sponsored by Novo Nordisk, is running across Europe, the United States and seven Australian sites, involving around 240 patients worldwide.
The trial examines combinations of three drugs: semaglutide (the main ingredient in Ozempic), cagrilintide, and a FGF21 analogue. These medications act on appetite, cravings, and liver-cell inflammation pathways. Addiction and liver specialist Professor Paul Haber, leading the Australian arm, says the goal is to treat both alcohol dependence and severe liver damage.
“These are three protein drugs in various combinations that interact with the appetite, the craving for alcohol, and actually also interact with the cellular damage pathways in the liver,” he said. “We believe that it has a multiple effect, both on the appetite for alcohol, the appetite for food, and the effect of those things on the inflammation within the liver.”
Early signs look promising. “The trial has shown that the patients lose weight and at least in some of our patients, they are showing signs of reducing their alcohol use,” Professor Haber said. The primary outcome is to see whether the drugs can improve liver inflammation and fibrosis, the precursor to cirrhosis, cancer and liver failure.
Professor Haber says the potential impact is “transformative”. “Throughout my career we had no specific treatment for patients with both alcohol problems, overweight or liver damage ... so it is a transformative time when we’re really starting to see treatments that make a material difference to people’s lives.” He stresses these drugs are not for everyone, focusing instead on people at high medical risk, especially those with alcohol-related liver disease.
Nigel Harpley, 48, who struggled with alcohol dependence, said he would have tried Ozempic-style treatment if it had been available. SMART Recovery Australia CEO April Long says the need for new treatments is urgent, but warns that drugs like Ozempic are expensive and must not become another barrier. “It’s really important that any solutions are properly funded so everybody can get the support they need,” she said.
