Early research on using GLP-1 drugs as an addiction treatment is promising, as are the anecdotes we hear. But formal clinical data is limited, and in an opinion piece for the New York Times, Maia Szalavitz argues that needs to change—fast. "Unlike new drug compounds that take years to develop, GLP-1s are already approved and appear quite safe, which means they could reach people far sooner, while also offering broader health benefits," she notes. But the pharmaceutical industry doesn't appear keen on getting the FDA to sign off on the drugs as an addiction medication. Absent that OK, insurance won't cover the drugs, putting them out of reach for the people who may need them most, Szalavitz writes.
Szalavitz points to Jessica Massarone as a case in point. After years of struggling with substance abuse, losing custody of her children, and cycling through relapse and recovery, Massarone gained access to a pilot program in Rhode Island testing GLP-1 drugs. She's now 17 months sober—outpacing the two times she's managed to make it about a year—and credits the drug with quieting the cravings that had derailed past attempts at recovery. She's insistent on that point, detailing two occasions she's recently had—one involving a former drug friend, the other a former dealer—that would have almost certainly caused her to relapse in the past. She says she felt zero cravings each time. "I was amazed by that, because for me, it's a big deal." (Read the full piece here.)