Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Our researchers are leading a new study testing if a weight loss drug already being used to treat obesity and diabetes could also benefit patients impacted by alcohol dependency and obesity, two of the biggest causes of liver disease.
Semaglutide, also known as Wegovy, works by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone and has been shown to slow digestion and suppress appetite – now researchers are launching four-year CURB (Controlling Unhealthy Relationships with Both alcohol and obesity) project to explore if it could be used to help people with alcohol dependency, obesity and liver disease.
The trial is being funded by a grant of more than £2.7 million from a UKRI Medical Research Council and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) partnership. It will be co-led by Ashwin Dhanda, Professor of Liver Medicine at the University of Plymouth, and in this video he explains why the project is needed and some detail of how it will work.
Find out more: plymouth.ac.uk/news/could-weight-loss-drug-benefit-patients-living-with-alcohol-addiction-liver-disease-and-obesity
Our researchers are leading a new study testing if a weight loss drug already being used to treat obesity and diabetes could also benefit patients impacted by alcohol dependency and obesity, two of the biggest causes of liver disease.
Semaglutide, also known as Wegovy, works by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone and has been shown to slow digestion and suppress appetite – now researchers are launching four-year CURB (Controlling Unhealthy Relationships with Both alcohol and obesity) project to explore if it could be used to help people with alcohol dependency, obesity and liver disease.
The trial is being funded by a grant of more than £2.7 million from a UKRI Medical Research Council and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) partnership. It will be co-led by Ashwin Dhanda, Professor of Liver Medicine at the University of Plymouth, and in this video he explains why the project is needed and some detail of how it will work.
Find out more: plymouth.ac.uk/news/could-weight-loss-drug-benefit-patients-living-with-alcohol-addiction-liver-disease-and-obesity
