Could a diabetes shot curb alcohol cravings? new study seeks answers
NCT ID NCT06727331
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jul 10, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This pilot study tests whether tirzepatide, a drug used for diabetes, can help reduce cravings for alcohol in people with alcohol use disorder. Twenty adults will receive weekly injections of either the drug or a placebo for 4 weeks. The goal is to see if the drug lowers cue-triggered cravings and is safe to use for this condition.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 2
Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.
- Participants
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About 20 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Sep 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jul 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * English speaking adults aged 18 and above * Diagnosed with current DSM-5 alcohol use disorder * Willing and able to physically travel to BWH CCI outpatient facilities for study visits Exclusion Criteria: * CIWA score at screening ≥ 8. * Psychotic disorder, active suicidality or homicidality or any psychiatric condition that impair ability to provide informed consent * Any lifetime diagnosis of eating disorders including anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, or avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder * BMI\<23 mg/kg2 * Current or lifetime diagnosis of Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes * Current (or within 30 days of enrollment) use of any anti-obesity medications or medications with glucose lowering properties (including GLP-1 analogues, sulfonylurea, insulin, metformin, thiazolidinediones, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-IV) inhibitors, or sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors) * Use of any GLP-1 agonist medications in the prior 3 months * Anticipating receipt of any other GLP-1 agonist medications during the trial * Personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 * Current hypoglycemia as indicated by a blood sugar level of ≤70 mg/dL measured at the baseline visit * Calcitonin ≥ 50 ng/L * Triglycerides ≥500 mg/dL * Untreated cholelithiasis or gallbladder disease * Acute myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular accident (stroke), unstable angina, or congestive heart failure in the last 90 days * Uncontrolled hypertension at baseline, as indicated by an average blood pressure reading of \>180/110 after three successive readings * History of inflammatory bowel disease, bariatric surgery, pancreatitis, diabetic gastroparesis, or non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy * Liver function test greater than 5 times upper normal limit * Renal impairment as indicated by eGFR of \<30 * History of hypersensitivity or allergy to tirzepatide * Pregnant or breastfeeding * Anticipated to be enrolled in another clinical drug trial during participation in this trial * Any other reason or clinical condition that the investigators judge may interfere with study participation and/or be unsafe for a participant
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital
RECRUITINGJamaica Plain, Massachusetts, 02130, United States
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Brigham and Women's Hospital
ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITINGBoston, Massachusetts, 02115, United States
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- Can a psychedelic compound help veterans and first responders with PTSD and alcohol use disorder?