The VA has launched the nationwide CRAVE trial to test whether semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy) can help treat alcohol use disorder in veterans. More than 600 veterans ages 18–80 will be enrolled at 18 VA centers and receive weekly semaglutide or placebo injections for 24 weeks while researchers track alcohol use, health, and quality of life. The VA warns veterans not to self‑medicate and stresses that larger controlled trials are needed to confirm safety and effectiveness.
VA Launches Nationwide CRAVE Trial Testing Semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy) for Alcohol Use Disorder
The anti-diabetic medication "Ozempic" (semaglutide). (Joel Saget/AFP via Getty Images)
The Department of Veterans Affairs has launched a nationwide clinical trial — the Cessation or Reduction of Alcohol Consumption in Veterans (CRAVE) study — to evaluate whether semaglutide (marketed as Ozempic and Wegovy) can help treat alcohol use disorder (AUD) in veterans. The VA estimates more than 400,000 veterans have been diagnosed with AUD nationwide.
Semaglutide is a GLP‑1 receptor agonist approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat Type 2 diabetes and for chronic weight management, but it is not approved to treat AUD. VA researchers are studying whether GLP‑1 drugs influence brain reward pathways involved in addiction and whether that effect could translate into a new treatment option for veterans with moderate or severe AUD.
The CRAVE trial plans to enroll more than 600 veterans ages 18–80 at 18 VA medical centers across the United States. Participants diagnosed with moderate or severe AUD will receive weekly injections of either semaglutide or a placebo for 24 weeks, followed by a formal safety evaluation. Investigators will monitor changes in alcohol consumption, physical and mental health, and overall quality of life.
Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine and other institutions have increasingly investigated GLP‑1 medications — originally developed for diabetes and later authorized for weight management — as potential treatments for substance use disorders. The VA cited an observational analysis published in March that reported lower rates of AUD and other substance use disorders among patients taking GLP‑1 medications compared with similar patients on other diabetes therapies; however, observational findings do not establish causation.
The VA strongly cautioned veterans not to self‑medicate with GLP‑1 drugs or to substitute them for established, evidence‑based AUD treatments without first consulting a health‑care provider. Larger, randomized, controlled trials like CRAVE are required to determine whether semaglutide is safe and effective for treating AUD.
VA Secretary Doug Collins: "By exploring emerging treatment options like the use of a GLP‑1 for AUD, we aim to expand the tools available to help Veterans take control of their health and recovery."
Recruitment for the CRAVE trial began July 28. Veterans interested in participating can contact their local VA medical center or search for the study on ClinicalTrials.gov.
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