Ozempic holds promise in treating Alzheimers disease

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A small clinical trial suggests that drugs like Ozempic could potentially be used not just for diabetes and weight loss but to protect the brain, slowing the rate at which people with Alzheimer’s disease lose their ability to think clearly, remember things and perform daily activities. The results need to be borne out in larger trials, which are already underway, before the medicines could receive approval for the disease.

The study, of 204 people with Alzheimer’s disease in the United Kingdom, found that those taking the diabetes drug liraglutide – an earlier medication in Ozempic’s class, which are known as GLP-1 receptor agonists – had 18% slower cognitive decline over the course of a year compared with those taking a placebo.

The trial’s main goal, though – changing the rate at which the brain metabolizes glucose – was not met, which researchers suggested could have been a result of its small size. The findings were shared Tuesday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Philadelphia and haven’t yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

“We’ve known for some time through animal work that GLP-1 has a different type of activity in the brain,” said Dr. Maria Carrillo, chief science officer and medical affairs lead for the Alzheimer’s Association, which was not involved with the research. “This study really demonstrates for us the possibilities that are there.”

In addition to the benefit for cognition, the study found that the drug was associated with 50% less volume loss in several areas of the brain, according to a news release from the Alzheimer’s Association. Those findings add to hope that larger trials being run by Ozempic’s maker, Novo Nordisk, will be successful, Carrillo told CNN.

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