A paper published Wednesday offers the strongest evidence yet that this is more than just anecdote, or a placebo effect: It found that semaglutide, the substance in Ozempic and the weight loss drug Wegovy, could in fact help curb alcohol cravings. It is the first randomized controlled trial on semaglutide and alcohol consumption.

For years, people taking Ozempic or other drugs in the same class for diabetes and weight loss have noticed the medicines don’t just curb their desire to eat; for some, they also lead them to drink less alcohol.

A new study (the first clinical trial of its kind) has shown that the GLP-1 agonist semaglutide — known by the brand name Ozempic — may help reduce not only alcohol cravings, but the amount of alcohol consumed when someone on the drug does drink