- Scientists have begun researching whether a so-called miracle obesity drug could be used to treat conditions such as dementia and alcoholism.
- Recent trials point to the effectiveness of drugs in suppressing major cardiovascular events and reducing symptoms associated with heart failure.
- The discovery is a milestone as pharmaceutical companies such as Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly seek to spread awareness about their seemingly “vanity” drugs.
The weight loss drug is being evaluated for its ability to treat conditions such as dementia and addiction, after a landmark study showed Wegovy could help reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
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LONDON — Scientists say a so-called miracle obesity drug could be used to treat conditions such as dementia and alcoholism after a recent trial pointed to the drug’s effectiveness in treating serious health problems. We have started an investigation into whether this is the case.
Late-stage trial data released by Novo Nordisk last month showed the company’s Wigovy weight loss injection led to “significant reductions” in body weight. Symptoms related to heart failure Among at-risk patients.
This comes weeks after the Danish drug company announced the results of a long-awaited study.select” The study showed the drug’s role in reducing the risk of major cardiovascular events such as heart attack and stroke.
The study results are a major milestone for the company, which is trying to spread awareness of its product, which some have dubbed a “vanity drug,” and researchers say the findings could lead to other uses for the drug. We hope that this will be positive news as well.
“The results show that this drug may have health benefits beyond the short term,” said Christian Hendershot, director of the Clinical and Translational Addiction Research Program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “I’m working on it,” he told CNBC via Zoom.
Hendershot is one of several researchers studying whether the appetite-regulating mechanisms that weight loss drugs have can be used to treat other conditions, such as alcohol and drug addiction.
Novo Nordisk’s Wigobee and Eli Lilly’s Munjaro work by mimicking naturally occurring gut hormones that help regulate appetite in the brain, ultimately leading to weight loss. To do so, they rely on active ingredients called semaglutide and liraglutide, respectively, which belong to a group of drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists.
Preclinical data has for several years pointed to the effectiveness of GLP-1 drugs in reducing drug and alcohol intake in animals. Hendershot is currently testing Wegovy’s predecessor, Ozempic, which was used to treat his type 2 diabetes, to see if these trends also apply to humans.
If both of these studies are read…the impact this will have on the field cannot be overstated.
Kyle Simmons
Professor of Pharmacology and Physiology, Oklahoma State University
“There is reason to be optimistic, especially given the report. It is now our job to conduct studies that validate these findings with clinical data,” said Hendershot, who expects to publish early findings next year. He said he plans to do so.
Kyle Simmons, a professor of pharmacology and physiology at Oklahoma State University, said early evidence of the drug’s effectiveness in suppressing cravings for cocaine, amphetamines and opioids suggests that widespread adoption of the drug could lead to widespread use. If proven effective, the impact could be enormous, he said. .
Simmons is currently leading the world. Semaglutide therapy to reduce alcohol The (STAR) trial is a 12-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study being conducted in parallel with a separate, similar study at the University of Baltimore.
“If the results of these two studies are both positive, the impact this will have on the ground cannot be overstated,” he said.
Some researchers hope the drug could also be used to treat dementia and other cognitive disorders.
There is already evidence to suggest that GLP-1 drugs can reduce bacterial buildup. amyloid and tau Two proteins in the brain are thought to be responsible for Alzheimer’s disease, the most common type of dementia.
Now, trial An ongoing study at the University of Oxford will test whether the drug leads to a reduction in tau accumulation and brain inflammation in patients at risk of developing dementia – those with high amyloid levels in the brain. .
“We want to see if these drugs are interfering with the core pathology of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Ivan Koychev, a senior clinical researcher leading the study.
Others believe the drug could be used to treat polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which causes irregular periods, hormonal imbalances and fertility problems.
“When women with PCOS show positive results regarding menstrual irregularities and hirsutism [excess hair growth] “Despite the modest weight loss, this could highlight the drug’s broader therapeutic potential.” said Harshal Deshmukh.
However, further use of weight-loss drugs could exacerbate the hurdles already faced by patients using weight-loss drugs: high costs and limited supply.
Earlier this month, Novo Nordisk extended the initial dose limit for Wigovy, citing production constraints, while Eli Lilly warned: continuous delay Same goes for Mounjaro output for the same reason.
Hendershot said his research is not currently affected by the shortage, but Simmons said it was a “grave concern.”
However, concerns have been raised about the drug’s possible side effects after some patients reported thoughts of suicide or self-harm.
Does this drug suppress the increase in reward signaling?
Kyle Simmons
Professor of Pharmacology and Physiology, Oklahoma State University
Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fluergaard Jorgensen spoke at a Reuters Newsmaker event. last month The number of suspected cases was minimal compared to the drug’s widespread effects. “When you have millions of patients and a drug used for many different types of patients, you can run into a variety of different events,” he said.
However, Simmons said more research is needed to understand how such drugs affect reward signaling in the brain. In his own research, he plans to test such signals by monitoring participants’ reward responses in virtual reality simulations.
“Is this drug simply suppressing increased reward signaling in a way that may promote anhedonia, perhaps by affecting the mesolimbic dopamine system?” Simmons said. Told. Anhedonia is a term used to describe a decreased ability to experience pleasure.
“If this drug is used by more and more people and starts to promote a loss of interest in pleasure more generally, that may not be a good thing for people with a history of major depressive disorder, for example. Maybe not,” he said. Added.
If you have suicidal thoughts, please contact us below. Lifeline for suicide and crisis 988 or Samaritan 116 123 in the UK.