Did Scientists Accidentally Invent an Anti-addiction Drug?

The Atlantic ^ | MAY 19, 2023 | By Sarah Zhang

[z3n]

Check Sarah Zhang’s bank account for recent checks or transfers from big pharma

[teeman8r]

i take it all the time so i don’t become addicted to anything... but it seems i need it more and more...

[one guy in new jersey]

Heaven help this drug if it is accidentally found to help the human body to safely address and quickly resolve a so-called COVID-19 infection.

It will be cast into the memory hole/ashbin of history before you can say “social distancing”.

[Seruzawa]

Yada yada. Miracle drug. Hype. Withdrawn from the market. Settlements. Wash rinse repeat.

[dominusobiscum]

Interesting. We shall see...

[Red Badger]

ISWYDT!............................

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

Red Badger(From the article):" .. she (Victoria Rutledge) began taking semaglutide, also known as Wegovy, after being prescribed the drug for weight loss.
(Colloquially, it is often referred to as Ozempic, though that is technically just the brand name for semaglutide that is marketed for diabetes treatment.)
Her food thoughts quieted down. She lost weight.
But most surprisingly, she walked out of Target one day and realized her cart contained only the four things she came to buy.
“I’ve never done that before,” she said.
The desire to shop had slipped away.
The desire to drink, extinguished once, did not rush in as a replacement either.
For the first time—perhaps the first time in her whole life—all of her cravings and impulses were gone. It was like a switch had flipped in her brain."

" As semaglutide has skyrocketed in popularity, patients have been sharing curious effects that go beyond just appetite suppression.
They have reported losing interest in a whole range of addictive and compulsive behaviors: drinking, smoking, shopping, biting nails, picking at skin.
Not everyone on the drug experiences these positive effects, to be clear, but enough that addiction researchers are paying attention."

(My Comment) :This deserves additional study, especially regarding compulsive disorders
One case of overcoming a behavior disorder doesn't prove anything,
but the drug deserves further study for "off label" usage.

[woodbutcher1963]

I think that Viagara was also accidentally discovered.

It was a drug in experiments for something else. There was a noticeable side effect.

[NorthMountain]

Viagra was developed as a treatment for high blood pressure. Patients taking it for that noticed the “side effect” kept coming up.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

People taking Ozempic for weight loss say they have also stopped drinking, smoking, shopping, and even nail biting.

It's the wonder drug that works wonders! I remember the same kind of media hype around Prozac about 25 years ago before the limitations and side effects became better understood.

[one guy in new jersey]

Hadn’t you heard?

Off-label use/prescribing was declared dangerous and unpatriotic in 2020.

[one guy in new jersey]

Oh, Behave!

[unixfox]

When she ran errands at Target, she would impulsively throw extra things—candles, makeup, skin-care products—into her cart.

Please, give this drug to all women.

[nicollo]

The Atlantic... native ad specialists, per a company that specializes in "branded content," lol:

In 2013, there was a spectacular failure of native advertising when The Atlantic published a sponsored story about the growth of the Church of Scientology. Readers didn’t know the content was sponsored (it had been formatted exactly like a journalistic article) and the publication had to quickly take it offline and issue a public apology.

The Atlantic, a 160 year-old publication, has come a long way from that blunder with over 60% of their ad revenue currently driven by native advertising and branded content in 2015, with an internal team of 32 staffers.
60% of The Atlantic’s ad revenue comes from branded content (2016)

[Secret Agent Man]

Post of the day. :)

[Red Badger]

I can go into Walmart and buy ONE ITEM that I went to get.

My wife goes to Walmart and comes out with a shopping cart full of stuff we don’t need..................

[Red Badger]

A drug like this could destroy a capitalist economy......................................Maybe that’s the reason...................

[Tilted Irish Kilt]

Red Badger :" A drug like this could destroy a capitalist economy"

Truth told !

[steve86]

Bupropion (Wellbutrin) has similar effects but in a much more modest way. Known to reduce cravings in various areas (but not sex!).