Successful treatment of binge eating disorder with the GLP-1 agonist semaglutide: A retrospective cohort study
Open accessAbstract
Objective: Binge eating disorder (BED) is the most common eating disorder, and yet only one pharmacotherapy (lisdexamfetamine), which has known abuse-potential, is FDA-approved. Topiramate is also commonly prescribed off-label for binge eating but has many contraindications. In contrast, the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP1) analog semaglutide has profound effects on central satiety signaling leading to reduced food intake, and has been approved for the treatment of obesity based on its efficacy and safety profile. Semaglutide would thus seem to be a potential candidate for the treatment of BED. Methods: This open-label study examined the effects of semaglutide on Binge Eating Scale (BES) scores in individuals with BED. Patients were divided into three groups: those prescribed semaglutide, those prescribed either lisdexamphetamine or topiramate, and those prescribed a combination of semaglutide with lisdexamphetamine or topiramate. Results: Patients receiving semaglutide only exhibited greater reductions in BES scores compared to the other groups. Combined pharmacotherapy with both semaglutide and the other anti-obesity medications did not result in greater reductions in BES scores compared to the semaglutide-only group. Findings were similar in patients with moderate/severe BED, as well as the full sample. Conclusion: The therapeutic effects of semaglutide in binge eating disorder warrant further investigation.
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A small, open-label retrospective cohort study reported reductions in Binge Eating Scale scores for individuals managed with semaglutide.
“A small, open-label retrospective cohort study reported reductions in Binge Eating Scale scores for individuals managed with semaglutide (108)”
From The science of safety: adverse effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists as glucose-lowering and obesity medications (2026) · cites this paper as [108]
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- Authors
- Richards, J., Bang, N., Ratliff, E. L., Paszkowiak, M. A., Khorgami, Z., Khalsa, S. S., & Simmons, W. K.
- Affiliations
- University of Oklahoma (US)
- Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences (US)
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research (US)
- Corresponding author
- Richards, Jesse
- Venue
- Obesity Pillars
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2023-09
- Volume
- 7
- Pages
- 100080
- ISSN
- 2667-3681 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC10661993
- OpenAlex
- W4384936477
- Cited by
- 96
- References
- 6
- Citations by year
- 2026: 25 · 2025: 42 · 2024: 26 · 2023: 3
- FWCI
- 28.28
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Obesity Pillars (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Pharmacology and Obesity Treatment
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Regulation of Appetite and Obesity
- Keywords
- binge eating disorder, semaglutide, GLP-1 receptor agonists, lisdexamfetamine, topiramate, combination pharmacotherapy, Binge Eating Scale, satiety signals
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