Semaglutide , the key component in popular medications like Ozempic and Wegovy , may potentially help treat and prevent opioid overdoses, new research suggests. A U.S.
peer-reviewed study published on Wednesday in the JAMA Network Open journal showed that semaglutide was associated with a reduced risk of opioid overdose in patients with Type 2 diabetes and opioid use disorder. Researchers studied 33,006 patients diagnosed with both Type 2 diabetes and opioid use disorder. Of these patients, 3,034 were prescribed semaglutide and the rest other diabetes medications.
“Semaglutide was associated with a significantly lower risk of opioid overdose during a 1-year follow-up compared with other antidiabetic medications,” the authors wrote. They said the results of the study suggest semaglutide’s “potential therapeutic value for preventing overdoses.” The research needs further validation with more data and study populations, but it offers some hope to patients struggling with opioid addiction.
Canada’s opioid crisis, which worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic , has claimed thousands of lives across the country. Since 2016, there have been more than 47,000 opioid-related deaths in Canada. Between January and March this year, 1,906 apparent opioid toxicity deaths were reported, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada.
The majority (81 per cent) of the accidental opioid-related deaths this year have involved fentanyl . In recent years, Canada, like other countries, .