# NCT04199728: GLP-1 Receptor Agonist for Opioid Use Disorder

**Type:** Clinical trial  
**Phase:** 2  
**Status:** Active (as of April 2026)  
**Intervention:** GLP-1 receptor agonist (specific drug not specified in source)  
**Target:** Opioid Use Disorder (OUD)  

## Trial Context

Part of broader GLP-1 substance use disorder research program. As of April 2026, 4 OUD trials active out of 33 total SUD trials.

## Evidence Base

**Liraglutide OUD data:**
- ~40% reduction in opioid craving in small randomized double-blind placebo-controlled residential study
- Phase 2 evidence only

**Semaglutide OUD data:**
- Significantly reduced opioid overdose risk in 1-year follow-up for patients with comorbid T2D + OUD (real-world observational data)
- Cannot distinguish causal mechanism from selection effects

**Mechanism:** GLP-1 receptors in ventral tegmental area (VTA) and nucleus accumbens reduce dopamine surge from opioid exposure, attenuating reward salience.

**Critical limitation:** All human evidence from patients with comorbid metabolic disease. Efficacy for OUD without T2D/obesity comorbidity unknown and largely unstudied.

## Timeline

- **2026-04-28** — NBC News synthesis reports Phase 2 evidence for GLP-1 in OUD, no Phase 3 trials completed

## Sources

- NBC News/Pharmacy Times synthesis, April 2026
- ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04199728