# CTN - Effects of semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro and Zepbound) on incidence and outcomes of stimulant use disorders and opioid use disorder in real-world populations: target tr

> **NIH NIH UG1** · UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI · 2024 · $502,744

## Abstract

Eﬀects of semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro and Zepbound) on incidence and
outcomes of stimulant use disorders and opioid use disorder in real-world populations: target trial
emulation using patient electronic health records
ABSTRACT/PROJECT SUMMARY
There is a steady rise in the incidence and associated death of StUDs including methamphetamine use
disorder (MUD) and cocaine use disorder (CUD). Among people aged 12 or older in 2022, 0.6 percent (or
1.8 million people) had MUD and 0.5 percent (or 1.4 million people) had CUD in the past year. Currently,
there are no treatments approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for StUDs and there is a
critical unmet need. Clinical anecdotes that patients treated with semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1
receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) approved for treating type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in 2017 and for weight
management in 2021 reported reduced desire to drink and smoke have attracted attention regarding its
potential to treat addiction. Currently, several registered clinical trials are ongoing to evaluate the eﬀect
of semaglutide on alcohol consumption and smoking cessation. Preclinical studies have investigated the
eﬀects of semaglutide or other GLP1R agonists on nicotine, alcohol, or opioids. However, little attention
has been placed on the eﬀects of semaglutide on StUDs; the present project will help address this gap.
The proposed study would utilize TriNetX Analytics, a nationwide electronic health records (EHR)
database, to evaluate semaglutide’s association with changes in both the incidence of StUDs (MUD, CUD)
and clinical outcomes associated with StUDs. Outcomes will be separately assessed by age groups, sex,
and race and in patients with co-occurring mental disorders or other substance use disorders (SUDs)
including alcohol, nicotine, opioid, and cannabis use disorders, whenever sample sizes permit. Our
methodology is based on our successful use of TriNetX Analytics to evaluate semaglutide’s association
with reduced incidence and relapse of cannabis use disorder.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11124992
- **Project number:** 3UG1DA013732-25S2
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
- **Principal Investigator:** T John WINHUSEN
- **Activity code:** UG1 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $502,744
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2024-09-15 → 2025-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11124992

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11124992, CTN - Effects of semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro and Zepbound) on incidence and outcomes of stimulant use disorders and opioid use disorder in real-world populations: target tr (3UG1DA013732-25S2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11124992. Licensed CC0.

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