A £2.7m clinical trial will investigate if a weight-loss jab can help patients living with alcohol dependency and obesity, which the NHS said were two of the biggest causes of liver disease
The four-year study will examine the impact of the weight-loss drug semaglutide, which is also known as Wegovy
Teams in Nottingham and Plymouth are leading the research and, from next month, plan to recruit about 270 NHS patients who are both dependent on alcohol and obese from across the UK
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The aim is to develop a new treatment for alcohol-related liver disease and obesity
Alcohol misuse is a leading cause of preventable death, and costs the NHS an estimated £5bn a year
Researchers at the National Institute for Health and Care Research’s Biomedical Research Centre in Nottingham are working with the University of Plymouth to jointly lead the study
Half of the 268 recruits will be given weekly injections of semaglutide, while the other half will receive a placebo over 36 weeks
The launch of this latest study follows a growing body of research into the link between weight-loss drugs and alcohol consumption
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Drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic contain semaglutide, while Mounjaro contains tirzepatide
These medicines mimic the naturally occurring hormone GLP-1, helping to suppress appetite and keep people feeling fuller for longer
Some users of weight-loss drugs have reported it is changing their relationship with alcohol and reducing cravings, and this is the latest study to examine that link in more detail
Prof Guru Aithal, deputy director of the centre, said the main aim of the investigation was to determine if the drug could reduce patients’ alcohol intake while also helping them lose weight and improve their liver health and quality of life
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To get on the study, NHS patients have to have a body mass index of least 30, have an alcohol use disorder, and evidence of scarring of the liver or cirrhosis
Harmful drinking is the leading cause of liver disease in the UK, and Aithal said the UK “has experienced higher rates of deaths from alcohol-related liver disease compared to other European countries over the past four decades”
“The combination of alcohol and obesity act together to speed up liver damage and death in patients, and both these conditions are difficult to treat with current medicines and counselling,” he added
“I hope that we can successfully evidence the impact of weight-loss drugs to curb alcohol intake and demonstrate the cost effectiveness and potential for a new NHS treatment.”
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Prof Ashwin Dhanda, a liver medicine specialist at the University of Plymouth, said: “We see patients who are dependent on alcohol and are obese every day, but there is currently no treatment that targets obesity and alcohol use at the same time.”
He added: “We need to seize this opportunity.”
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