Weight loss drugs may still help to fight against Alzheimer’s disease, despite a study by the manufacturer of Ozempic showing negative results.
NovoNordisk’s chief executive Mike Doustdar said the Danish company had ended research into how powerful GLP-1 drugs may slow Alzheimer’s progression, after disappointing results from a two-year study.
Semaglutide is found in the company’s two diabetes drugs, Ozempic and Rybelsus, and its weight loss drug Wegovy.
Results from an international clinical trial led by Imperial College London suggests a similar GLP-1 drug used for Type 2 diabetes, liraglutide, could reduce brain shrinkage, slowing cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease. In a study of 204 people with the condition, liraglutide slowed volume loss by half and an 18 per cent beneficial effect on cognition.
About 40 per cent of those who took part were women, with an average age of 71. At the start of the trial, all subjects reported similar levels of memory and thinking ability after completing cognitive tests.
Prof Paul Edison, the study’s chief investigator at Imperial College London, said liraglutide showed promise in repairing the brain pathways that lead to cognitive decline.
“Alzheimer’s disease is not purely a protein-accumulation disorder,” said Prof Edison. “It is caused by multiple changes happening in the brain: abnormal protein deposition, brain inflammation, impaired function of synapses, impaired function of microglia and astrocytes, and impaired insulin resistance.
“Drugs that repair these pathways could transform the field. This trial is important because it tests a completely different therapeutic strategy in Alzheimer’s disease – one that does not rely solely on targeting amyloid.”
Safe treatment
The study showed liraglutide was generally safe for the treatment of individuals with Alzheimer’s. Side effects included gastrointestinal issues and weight loss of about 5 per cent to 10 per cent.
Alzheimer’s remains the leading cause of dementia wor
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