New $13 million trial will test GLP-1 drugs for addiction and crime reduction

A $13 million clinical trial announced this week will test whether weekly injections of GLP-1 medications Ozempic or Wegovy, combined with usual care, can cut alcohol, opioid and cocaine consumption while also decreasing criminal-justice contact and improving employment, health and housing for people at high risk of incarceration. The project is backed by the Arnold Foundation and carried out by the Center for Addiction Science, Policy and Research together with the Allegheny County Department of Human Services.

GLP-1 drugs are attractive because they are long-acting, easy to administer once a week, and have no abuse potential. A prior pilot in Providence, RI, reported that a mother with a decade-long cocaine and opioid habit experienced dramatically reduced cravings and began rebuilding relationships with her children. Advocates argue that eliminating cravings could make existing incentives—such as treatment mandates tied to legal or child-welfare interventions—more effective. The trial aims to provide a scalable, medical option for chronic addiction that has so far resisted other pharmacological solutions.