GLP‑1 Drugs Cut Substance Abuse Risk; New Oral Pill Targets Muscle Metabolism for Diabetes

Researchers at the University of Texas at El Paso analyzed health data from more than 142,000 participants in the U.S. All of Us Research Program and found that patients with type‑2 diabetes or obesity who used GLP‑1 receptor agonists had dramatically lower odds of developing substance‑use disorders: about 74% lower for alcohol, 69% for opioids, 68% for nicotine and 75% for cocaine, with an overall 75% reduction for any disorder. The observational study cautions that it does not prove causation and does not recommend prescribing GLP‑1 drugs for addiction treatment.

In a separate line of research, scientists at Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University described an experimental oral medication that activates skeletal‑muscle metabolism rather than mimicking gut hormones. Early Phase I trials in healthy volunteers and people with type‑2 diabetes showed the pill was well‑tolerated and improved blood‑sugar control and body composition without suppressing appetite or causing muscle loss. A larger Phase II trial is planned to evaluate safety and efficacy for diabetes and obesity.

Both studies highlight novel therapeutic pathways—neural‑reward modulation by GLP‑1 drugs and muscle‑metabolism activation by a new pill—that could broaden treatment options for metabolic and addictive disorders.