CASPR Launches Semaglutide Trial for Addiction Outcomes in Pittsburgh

The Center for Addiction Science, Policy and Research and Allegheny County will launch a $13.3 million randomized controlled trial in early 2027 to test weekly semaglutide as additional support for adults with alcohol use disorder, opioid use disorder, or both in Pittsburgh and partner sites.

According to News Medical, the multi-site study will enroll up to 1,200 adults, with half randomly assigned to receive semaglutide for 52 weeks alongside existing care. The trial will examine substance use, health, employment, housing, and criminal justice outcomes.

The research is funded through a $13.3 million Arnold Ventures grant to CASPR. UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital Addiction Medicine Services will serve as the lead clinical site with other Allegheny County addiction treatment partners.

The CASPR leadership said the medication-based approach could make adoption easier for other communities if results are positive.

"The trial is designed to be easy for other cities to adopt, if there is a positive outcome. Because this is a medication, rather than a complex program, if it works in Pittsburgh, it should work almost everywhere." said Nicholas Reville, executive director and co-founder of CASPR.

Reville said the study was developed through collaboration between researchers, local government officials, and addiction treatment specialists. The partnership combines clinical care, administrative data, economic analysis, and policy expertise.

"DHS has a longstanding commitment to using evidence to solve difficult social problems. This study is an opportunity to build on some promising early indications about the potential of GLP-1RAs while including those who might benefit most from these medications." said Alex Jutca, Director of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services.

Jutca described the potential public impact of successful results on recovery and social stability.

"If this trial can show that we have a way to give people a better chance to recover, stay healthy, find employment, maintain stable housing, and prevent reinvolvement in the justice system (rearrest, reconviction, and reincarceration), we will have made a major advance." said Alex Jutca, Director of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services.

Reville said early evidence has encouraged researchers to examine whether GLP-1 medications may affect addiction-related cravings and recovery pathways.

"Research on GLP-1RAs and addiction show that they can often help restore personal agency. Rather than feeling dragged down by cravings, whether it's for sugar, alcohol, or drugs, GLP-1s help quiet that noise for many people," said Nicholas Reville, executive director and co-founder of CASPR.

The county collaboration developed from discussions about addiction, repeat justice involvement, and linking health and criminal justice information systems.

"Despite the enormous personal and social impact of addiction, innovation in the field has not matched the scale of the problem. Local governments are often asked to respond to addiction without enough evidence about what works. This trial allows Allegheny County to help build that evidence" said Alex Jutca, Director of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services.

Jutca explained that conversations with Reville about addiction medicine and county challenges contributed to the trial concept.

"I was reading Nicholas' addiction medicine blog two years ago and reached out to him. We started talking regularly about GLP-1s and addiction, recidivism, and the challenges that the County was facing. This concept for this trial emerged from those conversations." said Alex Jutca, Director of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services.

Reville said the partnership focuses on system-level improvements and practical solutions.

"Alex is able to look across a complex system of operations and see opportunities for innovation that can improve results for the county while also saving money. We are natural collaborators because we're both focused on finding solutions for addiction that have an impact at a population level." said Nicholas Reville, executive director and co-founder of CASPR.

Reville also highlighted Allegheny County's role in developing evidence-based approaches for addiction policy.

"The Allegheny County team and partners have shown national leadership in the push for new approaches and better evidence, which is extremely unusual for a county government," said Nicholas Reville, executive director and co-founder of CASPR.

The lead clinical team said the study will evaluate both medical effectiveness and broader outcomes linked to addiction recovery.

"This innovative trial examines the effectiveness and safety of GLP-1RAs and their impact on alcohol and opioid use disorder-related outcomes including employment, housing, health, and recidivism since drug use disorders are major drivers of criminal justice involvement and intersecting with systemic inequities and disparities. We as WPH AMS, the lead clinical site, are very much excited to partner with CASPR, Allegheny County Department of Human Services and other sites, on this trial which holds great promise to change the landscape of addiction treatment and recovery toolbox." said Antoine Douaihy, MD Professor of Psychiatry and Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Senior Academic Director or AMS at Western Psychiatric Hospital.

The study team includes researchers from MIT, the University of Pittsburgh, the University of California San Diego, and UPMC Western Psychiatric Hospital.

"If the results of the trial are positive, we will consider this approach on an ongoing basis for individuals with substance use disorders and will work with other cities and counties across the country to disseminate our findings. This reflects the broader direction of our Allegheny Recovery Partnership, which aims to build a coordinated system of care that keeps people engaged in treatment over time. We believe new medications will become more valuable if we integrate them into systems that consistently support recovery," said Alex Jutca, Director of the Allegheny County Department of Human Services.