Drug poisonings involving opioids and/or stimulants are a major public health concern. Pharmaceutical interventions to treat substance use disorders, particularly those involving stimulants, are limited. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), approved to manage conditions such as type 2 diabetes, have been observed to reduce substance use as a secondary effect. We examined the current literature on GLP-1RAs as a potential treatment for either stimulant or opioid use disorder. We conducted an electronic search in PubMed, PsycINFO, Scopus, and Web of Science in September 2025 and January 2026 to identify studies investigating GLP-1RA treatment for stimulant or opioid use disorder. We identified 630 unique search results. One reviewer screened the title, abstract, and the full-text of results before performing data extraction. Metrics synthesized included study design, population characteristics, dosage information, and substance use behaviours or outcomes. We identified eighteen studies between animal (n=14) or human (n=4) participants and stimulant- (n=6) or opioid-related (n=12) outcomes. Research conducted in the United States represented the majority of studies (n=13). Overall, sixteen studies found a relationship between GLP-1RA administration and reduced stimulant- or opioid-related outcomes, three observing greater reduction in groups with higher GLP-1RA dosages or more extreme substance use at baseline. One study identified the incidence rate ratio of opioid overdose as 40% lower for people with a GLP-1 RA prescription compared to those without. These preliminary findings support that GLP-1RAs may be a potential pharmaceutical treatment for opioid or stimulant use disorders. Further research in human populations is needed.
Leach et al. (Wed,) studied this question.