Effects of Semaglutide on Nicotine Intake

Effects of Semaglutide on Nicotine Intake and Smoking Lapse

Tobacco use remains the foremost cause of preventable deaths in the U.S. and worldwide. Advancing new smoking cessation therapies, including those targeting novel biological mechanisms, is a critical public health priority. Accumulating evidence from preclinical studies suggests that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists reduce intake and/or reinstatement of addictive drugs, including nicotine. However, translational work is necessary to establish whether GLP-1 receptor agonists alter aspects of nicotine response and smoking behavior in smokers. Human laboratory studies play a pivotal role in drug development by providing a time- and cost-efficient means of validating preclinical findings, also providing an ideal platform for studying mechanisms of medication effects. This is an experimental investigation to examine the effects of an approved GLP-1 receptor agonist on nicotine intake and reinstatement. Dependent smokers will be enrolled in a double-blind, parallel-arm trial with laboratory endpoints. Laboratory procedures will include a validated procedure for measuring smoking lapse/reinstatement after overnight abstinence. This study will provide initial laboratory evidence for the potential efficacy of GLP-1 receptor agonists as adjunctive treatments for smoking cessation.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Tobacco Use Disorder; Nicotine Addiction
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Semaglutide; Drug: Sham/placebo

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 24
• Phase: Phase 2

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • North Carolina
    • Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States, 27599
      • University of North Carolina

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 21 years to 65 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 21-65
• Smoking 5+ cigarettes per day (on average) over the past year, with no period of abstinence > 90 days
• Biochemical verification of smoking status, based on expired CO > 8 at baseline
• Willingness to take study medication and complete study procedures
• Willingness to complete lab sessions involving cigarette smoking
• Ability to communicate in English

Exclusion Criteria:

• Regular use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS/vaping), cigars, chewing tobacco or snuff, based on at least weekly use in the past 30 days
• Past 30-day use of nicotine replacement therapies/products
• Reporting past 30-day use of illicit drugs other than cannabis at baseline, or having a positive toxicology screen for illicit drugs other than cannabis at baseline
• Current engagement in alcohol or smoking cessation treatments, or currently engaged in intentional efforts to quit cigarette use
• Past 30-day use of: Sincalide, Sulfonylureas, insulin and insulin products or other medications that may interact with semaglutide, or weight control medications
• Prior use of semaglutide or other GLP-1 agonists
• Known or suspected hypersensitivity to study medication or related products
• Lifetime diagnosis of severe mental illness (including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder)
• Meeting criteria for current alcohol use disorder (AUD) or other substance use disorder (with the exception of tobacco or mild cannabis use disorder)
• History of suicide attempt, or recent (past 30 day) suicidal ideation, or psychiatric hospitalization in the last 6 months
• Current significant medical or neurological illness (based on self-report or medical record) including severe hepatic impairment or cirrhosis, impaired renal function (eGFR <50ml/min), acute or chronic pancreatitis, gastroparesis, gallbladder disease or cholelithiasis, other severe gastrointestinal disease, heart failure, coronary artery disease, stroke, seizure disorder, or other medical condition that poses a risk for the medication or alcohol administration components of the study (as determined by the MD)
• A personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or multiple endocrine neoplasia 2A or 2B
• Calcitonin greater than or equal to 50 ng/L
• Uncontrolled thyroid disease at screening
• History of major surgical procedures involving the stomach potentially affecting absorption of trial product (e.g., subtotal and total gastrectomy, sleeve gastrectomy, gastric bypass surgery)
• History of Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, or HbA1c >6.5% measured at screening
• History of diabetic retinopathy, proliferative retinopathy, or maculopathy
• History of diabetic ketoacidosis
• History or presence of malignant neoplasms within the last 5 years (except basal and squamous cell skin cancer and carcinoma in situ)

• Currently nursing, pregnant, anticipating pregnancy in the next 6 months, or not using a highly effective contraceptive method as judged by the MD, and defined as:

  1. combined (estrogen and progestogen containing) hormonal contraception associated with inhibition of ovulation (oral, intravaginal, transdermal)
  2. progestogen-only hormonal contraception associated with inhibition of ovulation (oral, injectable, implantable)
  3. intrauterine device
  4. intrauterine hormone-releasing system
  5. bilateral tubal occlusion
  6. vasectomized partner
  7. sexual abstinence
• Elevation of serum lipase, amylase, direct (conjugated) bilirubin, or alkaline phosphatase (ALP), ALT, or AST) more than 3X the upper limit of normal on baseline bloodwork
• Baseline body mass index (BMI) <23kg/m^2
• Uncontrolled hypertension or systolic BP >180 mmHg and/or diastolic BP >105 mmHg, averaged from three measurements
• Plans for travel outside of the local area in the upcoming 12 weeks that would interfere with lab visits during the study period (or other logistic factors that would make it difficult to commit to entire duration of study)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Triple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Semaglutide; Participants will receive semaglutide via subcutaneous injections at escalating doses (0.25mg to 1.0mg) over 9 weeks.	Drug: Semaglutide; Semaglutide (subcutaneous)
Sham Comparator: Sham/Placebo; Participants will receive sham subcutaneous injections over 9 weeks.	Drug: Sham/placebo; Sham subcutaneous injection

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Nicotine Self-Administration	Number of cigarettes smoked during a laboratory smoking procedure	Baseline (Week 0) to post-medication (Week 8)
Change in Nicotine Reinstatement Duration	Duration (minutes) of resistance to smoking reinstatement during a laboratory lapse task	Baseline (Week 0) to post-medication (Week 8)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Daily Cigarette Smoking	Number of cigarettes consumed per day during medication exposure	Baseline (Week 0) to study endpoint (Week 10)

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in Cigarette Craving	Self-reported craving during a cue exposure task	baseline (Week 0) to post-medication (Week 8)
Change in Subjective Responses to Cigarette Smoking	Self-reported responses to cigarette smoking during a laboratory smoking procedure The Cigarette Purchase Task is a 21-question self-reported measure to understand motivation for obtaining cigarettes which asks participants about the number of cigarettes they would purchase and smoke based on an increasing cigarette cost.	baseline (Week 0) to post-medication (Week 8)
Change in Body Weight	Body weight	baseline (Week 0) to study endpoint (Week 10)
Change in HbA1c	Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1c)	baseline (Week 0) to study endpoint (Week 10)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
• Collaborators: National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Christian Hendershot, PhD, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 7, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 13, 2024
• Study Completion (Actual): May 13, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: August 26, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: September 1, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): September 7, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 22, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 21, 2025
• Last Verified: July 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Substance-Related Disorders; Chemically-Induced Disorders; Tobacco Use Disorder; Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Hypoglycemic Agents; Semaglutide
• Other Study ID Numbers: 21-1548; R21DA047663-02 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: IPD will be shared with other investigators upon reasonable request.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: Data will become available following publication of study manuscripts and will be available indefinitely.
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: Reasonable request from qualified investigator.
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL; SAP; ICF; ANALYTIC_CODE; CSR

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: Yes
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No