Semaglutide trials show no slowdown of Alzheimer’s progression
Semaglutide, a glucagonlike peptide 1 receptor agonist widely used for obesity and diabetes, has shown no clinical benefit in slowing Alzheimer’s progression, according to new data released by Novo Nordisk, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent.
The company reported that two major randomized, placebo controlled studies, known as evoke and evoke plus, did not show improvement on the Clinical Dementia Rating Sum of Boxes, a key measure of cognition and function in Alzheimer’s research.
Despite the outcome, the trials marked a significant scientific effort. Enrolling about 3800 participants in early-stage Alzheimer’s and following them for two years, they were the largest and longest studies of a GLP 1 drug in a neurodegenerative disease. Participants received daily oral doses of semaglutide up to 14 milligrams or placebo. Evoke plus included a larger share of people with imaging signs of cerebrovascular disease, a common comorbidity in Alzheimer’s.
Martin Holst Lange, Novo Nordisk’s chief scientific officer, said the company pursued the project despite limited expectations of success. The company, he noted, had a responsibility to explore semaglutide’s potential, despite a low likelihood of success. Novo Nordisk has canceled a planned one-year extension but will present detailed findings next month at the Clinical Trials on Alzheimer’s Disease meeting in San Diego.
Researchers note that GLP 1 agonists had shown protective effects in animal models, and observational studies suggested reduced incidence of Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s among people taking them for diabetes. Still, translating prevention signals into treatment benefits has proven difficult. Earlier this year, a clinical trial of exenatide produced no slowing of Parkinson’s progression.
Experts say the new data will still offer valuable insights. Daniel Drucker of the University of Toronto highlighted the need to examine whether semaglutide affects brain inflammation or other pathways. Lorraine Kalia, also of UToronto, noted that determining whether such drugs reach the brain in effective amounts remains a core challenge.
Drucker added that GLP 1 therapies have delivered major advances in cardiometabolic health. “We’ve had such an amazing run,” he said, noting that he has worked with GLP 1 hormones since the 1980s. According to him, these drugs have already reduced the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular complications, and researchers continue to uncover new potential properties.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported on a large-scale study showing that genetic factors shape not only overall educational attainment but also individuals’ choices of academic specialization, indicating that genes influence the fields people pursue.
