News from the Appalachian Node: GLP-1s for Addiction

Sarah Kawasaki, MD, Co-Investigator of the CTN Appalachian Node was quoted in a recent New Yorker article entitled, “Can Ozempic Cure Addiction?“

GLP-1 medications like Ozempic mimic a naturally occurring hormone called glucagon-like peptide 1, which scientists have historically associated with digestion. But it’s increasingly clear that GLP-1 affects much more than eating, and these medications are now being studied as potential treatments for a number of conditions, including addiction. (There are currently two CTN trials involving GLP-1 medications: CTN-0152 and CTN-0153.)

Sarah Kawasaki, chief of addiction services at Penn State Health, collaborated on a human trial for opioid addiction in which a GLP-1 was being tested on 20 people at a residential treatment center. The results were promising: 10 people received the medication and 10 received a placebo; people on the GLP-1 medication (liraglutide) reported 40% fewer cravings.

Now Kawasaki is helping lead a trial of hundreds of people with opioid addiction, living in a community rather than a treatment center, and they are on multiple medications: semaglutide (a GLP-1), as well as either methadone or buprenorphine.

Check out the complete New Yorker article here! (free version for non-subscribers)

Posted on February 18, 2026