Ozempic’s Potential Beyond Diabetes Treatment
Good morning! Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic may offer benefits beyond regulating blood sugar and promoting weight loss.
New Findings from the University of Oxford
According to a new analysis from the University of Oxford, published last week, Ozempic could lower the risk of dementia and other mental health issues compared to other existing treatments for diabetes patients. Additionally, researchers found that Ozempic reduced nicotine dependence in these patients.
Expanding Health Benefits of GLP-1 Treatments
These findings add to the growing list of potential health benefits of Ozempic and other popular GLP-1 treatments, such as Novo Nordisk’s weight loss injection Wegovy and similar drugs from rival Eli Lilly.
Large clinical trials have already shown that semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, can reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular complications and kidney disease. Other studies are investigating GLP-1s in patients with sleep apnea, fatty liver disease, and evaluating whether the drugs can curb addictive behaviors such as alcohol use and gambling.
Details of the New Analysis
Let’s dive into the data from the new analysis, published in the Lancet’s eClinicalMedicine journal on Thursday. The study used medical records from over 100,000 U.S. diabetes patients, including more than 20,000 who were prescribed semaglutide between December 2017 and May 2021.
Comparing Semaglutide to Other Diabetes Treatments
Researchers compared semaglutide to three other diabetes treatments: Merck’s Januvia (sitagliptin), Pfizer’s Glucotrol (glipizide), and Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim’s Jardiance (empagliflozin). They assessed the risks of 22 neurological and psychiatric outcomes within one year of treatment with the different diabetes drugs.
Lower Risk of Cognitive Problems and Nicotine Dependence
Overall, Ozempic was associated with a lower risk of cognitive problems and nicotine dependence, according to the researchers.
Dementia Risk Reduction
After a year, patients taking Ozempic had a 48% lower risk of developing dementia compared to those on Januvia. The risk was also 37% lower compared to those taking Glucotrol and 9% lower compared to those on Jardiance.
Notably, previous research has determined that diabetes patients are at a greater risk of developing dementia.
Reduction in Nicotine Dependence
Patients taking Ozempic also saw an 18% reduction in nicotine dependence compared to those on Januvia. Nicotine dependence was 28% lower in Ozempic patients compared to those on Glucotrol and 23% lower than those on Jardiance.
Potential Beyond Diabetes Management
“Our results suggest that semaglutide use could extend beyond managing diabetes, potentially offering unexpected benefits in the treatment and prevention of cognitive decline and substance misuse,” said Dr. Riccardo De Giorgi, clinical lecturer at the University of Oxford and lead author of the study, in a statement.
Need for Controlled Trials
However, the authors emphasized that the analysis is observational. The results need to be replicated in a controlled trial that randomly assigns patients to take Ozempic or the other drugs, according to Dr. Max Taquet, another Oxford clinical lecturer and senior study author.
