Novo Nordisk to Investigate GLP-1 Therapies for Addiction Treatment in New Clinical Study

Intelligent Finance APP learned that Martin Holst Lange, the R&D director of Novo Nordisk (NVO.US), said in an online meeting on Thursday that the company plans to conduct a study on how its GLP-1 class weight-loss/diabetes drugs can help people address addiction issues, including smoking, alcohol abuse, shopping, and even nail-biting.

The company's GLP-1 portfolio includes semaglutide (an injectable drug for weight loss, marketed under the name Wegovy) and Ozempic (used to treat type 2 diabetes). The company has also received FDA approval to market semaglutide to reduce the risk of severe heart problems in obese or overweight adults and to lower the risk of kidney disease progression. Late-stage studies are also underway to test its potential in treating early-stage Alzheimer’s disease.

Lange said, "We will further investigate this issue and explore how to help patients addicted to GLP-1. This must be addressed in a scientific manner, and obviously also from a regulatory perspective, in a very strict way, so that we can truly understand the potential impact of GLP-1 in this area."