# Evaluation of GLP-1 receptor agonists on alcohol-related behaviors

> **NIH AA R01** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2026 · $444,576

## Abstract

Project Summary
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a pressing public health issue and treatments are much needed. Glucagon-like
peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) compounds (e.g., Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro) have been receiving
tremendous media attention for their dramatic weight loss effects. With this popularity have come media and
anecdotal reports from clinicians and individuals using these medications of decreased alcohol use and
changes in sensitivity to the subjective effects of alcohol. The rapid market expansion of GLP-1RA compounds
and their derivatives presents an opportunity to identify which may be most efficacious for clinical trials in
individuals with AUD. Therefore, in this application we developed a preclinical screening pipeline focused on
two key aspects of alcohol drinking with translational importance – alcohol subjective/interoceptive effects and
alcohol reinforcement in the context of an alternate reward choice. We will evaluate the long-acting and FDA
approved compounds semaglutide (GLP-1RA; which is currently in clinical trials for AUD) and dual GLP-1RA
and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) agonist tirzepatide, and the triple (GIP, GLP-1R and
glucagon) agonist retatrutide. Additionally, the mechanisms by which GLP-1RAs reduce drinking remain poorly
understood, with the salience network and activity in its key hubs emerging as promising targets for
investigation. In this application, we will evaluate the effects of GLP-1RAs on alcohol interoceptive effects (Aim
1) and drinking behavior in the context of an alcohol vs. sucrose concurrent choice self-administration
procedure (Aim 2). Finally, we will use functional MRI to assess the effects of the most efficacious GLP-1RA on
salience network activity with and without alcohol, and fiber photometry to measure neural activity in salience
network circuitry during the alcohol vs. sucrose choice self-administration procedure (Aim 3). Overall, we
hypothesize that GLP-1RA compounds will r

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11241674
- **Project number:** 1R01AA032683-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Joyce  Besheer
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** AA
- **Fiscal year:** 2026
- **Award amount:** $444,576
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2026-05-01T00:00:00 → 2031-01-31T00:00:00

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11241674

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11241674, Evaluation of GLP-1 receptor agonists on alcohol-related behaviors (1R01AA032683-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-07-10 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11241674. Licensed CC0.

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