Novo Nordisk A/S Sponsored ADR Class B (NVO.US) plans to conduct research on using GLP-1 weight loss drugs to treat addiction.

Martin Holst Lange, the research director of Novo Nordisk A/S Sponsored ADR Class B (NVO.US), said in an online meeting on Thursday that the company plans to conduct a study on how their GLP-1 class weight loss/diabetes drugs can help people with addiction issues, including smoking, alcoholism, shopping, and even nail biting. The company's GLP-1 product portfolio includes semaglutide (an injectable weight loss drug, marketed as Wegovy) and Ozempic (used to treat type 2 diabetes). The company has also received FDA approval to market semaglutide to reduce the risk of severe heart problems in obese or overweight adults and reduce the risk of kidney disease progression. Late-stage studies are also ongoing to test its potential in treating early-stage Alzheimer's disease. Lange said, "We will further investigate this issue and explore how to help patients addicted to GLP-1. This must be approached in a scientific manner, obviously also from a regulatory perspective, in a very stringent way, so that we can truly see the potential impact of GLP-1 in this area."