Evidence is growing that certain diabetes drugs may be good candidates for testing against neurodegenerative disease, Reuters reports.
Diabetes drugs improve how glucose is used in the body and can reduce inflammation. These properties may also have the potential to help slow or stop the advance of diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, scientists told the news outlet.
Much of the growing interest centers around glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists, Reuters noted. These drugs include semaglutide, which is garnering attention for its additional role as a weight loss drug under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy.
Novo Nordisk, which makes the latter drugs, currently is testing semaglutide in patients with early Alzheimer’s. Results are expected by 2025, Reuters reported.
Diabetes treatments may also boost the benefits of a new class of disease-modifying monoclonal antibody treatments for Alzheimer’s, according to one scientist who is studying a diabetes combination treatment. And if GLP-1 agonists do eventually prove useful in preventing or treating dementia, they may also offer a lower-risk alternative to these monoclonal antibodies, as they do not carry the same risk of brain swelling, one researcher noted.
Other researchers are studying the effects of experimental GLP-1 agonist drugs in Parkinson’s.
The full story can be found here.
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