Scientists believe the breakthrough weight-loss drug could also help treat dementia.
Wegovy, Ozempic, and Mounjaro are being tested by US and European scientists for the treatment of neurological disorders.
It is believed that GLP-1 receptor drugs may enhance the ability of existing Alzheimer’s drugs to clear amyloid-beta plaques from the brain. Doctors believe these plaques are responsible for cognitive decline.
Obesity is a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, which kills 100,000 Americans each year. Experts are concerned that worldwide the rate will double as people live longer and a larger percentage of the population is obese.
In 2021, Novo Nordisk, maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, will begin a large three-year trial of 1,840 participants to test its drug as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. . The University of Oxford has also launched an investigation.
Scientists are beginning to test weight-loss breakthroughs Ozempic, Wegovy, and other similar drugs in the same class as potential treatments for diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Novo 2021 launched such an investigation in 2015 (file photo)
Dr. Ted Dawson (left), a neurologist at Johns Hopkins University, told DailyMail.com that in the first study his lab found an effect on Alzheimer’s disease in mice. Wake Forest Dr. Suzanne Craft (right), a geriatrics specialist at the university, told DailyMail.com that the GLP-1 drug could be used alongside existing Alzheimer’s treatments.
Novo’s Ordeal, Known as “EVOKE” This is the first of many that have been or will be launched to test how glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs act against neurological disorders.
Other studies, such as a trial led by Dr. Ivan Koychev, a neuropsychiatrist at the University of Oxford, are testing GLP-1 drugs for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
The basis for this work was published in 2018 when researchers at Johns Hopkins University found that chemicals that activate the body’s GLP-1 receptors show promise in fighting dementia in mice. rice field.
‘these are [drugs] Dr. Ted Dawson, a neurologist at Johns Hopkins University who led the study, told DailyMail.com.
“The compound we developed stopped the activation of neurotoxins that kill neurons in the brain.”
In a published study, in the journal naturea GLP-1 agonist developed by the Hopkins team blocked the detrimental effects of amyloid beta, tau, and alpha-synuclein proteins.
All of these proteins are naturally produced in the brain and play a role in regulating bodily functions.
But in some cases, they can become damaged or overactive, destroying some of the neurons in the brain and causing the cognitive decline that characterizes dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. there is.
Dr. Dawson said his lab had completed a phase II trial of the agonist as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease, but it was unsuccessful.
However, they found that it was effective in staving off brain damage in young people who had not yet contracted the disease.
Drugs such as Wegovy and semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, work by activating hormones in the body that stimulate the production of insulin.
For people with type 2 diabetes, extra production of insulin helps regulate blood sugar levels.
This was the goal behind Ozempic, developed by Novo and approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat this disease in 2017.
A side effect of the drug is that you feel fuller for longer and lose your appetite. This causes users to experience intense weight loss.
Wegovy received approval for weight loss only in 2021 after clinical trials showed the drug could reduce weight by 15% in 68 weeks when combined with diet and exercise.
These two drugs have been golden geese for Danish Novo and are now the most valuable companies in the Scandinavian country.
Recent data show that 1 in 60 Americans are currently taking either drug. Market players predict Novo will bring in his $100 billion in revenue over the next decade.
Dr. Percy Griffin, head of scientific engagement for the Alzheimer’s Association, told DailyMail.com: sick.
Alzheimer’s disease is a complex disease associated with changes in several aspects of brain biology. No single drug can completely stop the disease from progressing. This highlights the need for an arsenal of medicines that target every aspect of biological change to defeat this devastating disease.
Dr. Suzanne Kraft, professor of geriatrics at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, tells DailyMail.com that managing your weight and insulin levels can also help prevent neurological disease.
Metabolic disorders—problems such as high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and excess fat around waste products—increase a person’s risk of cognitive decline.
Dr. Kraft explains that these problems addressed by GLP-1 drugs are directly related to cognitive problems.
“We have a fairly long history [research] We are linking metabolic abnormalities to risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease,” she said.
“We believe that treating metabolic disorders can help fight disease.”
She said the drug works best when used alongside certain existing Alzheimer’s drugs, such as lecanemab, which was approved by the FDA earlier this year.
“This is one of the most promising uses. There is a lot of evidence related to metabolism. [issues] and [toxic proteins].’
“One of the most worrisome side effects” [existing Alzheimer’s treatments] It’s the inflammation they cause in the brain.
“Insulin has anti-inflammatory properties.”
Lecanemab is a breakthrough drug that has been shown in trials to reduce cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer’s disease by 27% in 18 months.
This drug works by fighting off plaques in the brain caused by amyloid beta.
This is done by injecting the brain with antibodies that identify and destroy the proteins formed.
However, as part of this process, the brain may experience severe swelling.This swelling was associated with death in patients who died drug in clinical trials.
Dr. Charles Bernick, a neurologist at the Roulbo Brain Health Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, told DailyMail.com: [semglutide] It can reduce brain inflammation and promote nerve cell growth.
These drugs also help repair damage caused by plaque formation in the brain.
Amyloid beta binds to insulin receptors in the brain. This damages the organ’s communication network and promotes cognitive decline.
A combination of a drug that destroys proteins and a drug that increases insulin secretion allows hormones to bind to these receptors.
Dr. Kraft said this would help repair synapses in the brain, the points at which neurons connect to send nerve signals.
The drug’s ability to help people manage diabetes and overcome obesity also has a simpler link to preventing Alzheimer’s and other neurological disorders.
Obesity and type 2 diabetes are known significant risk factors for cognitive decline.
According to Dr. Dawson, the earlier in life people get their overall health checked, the better their brains will be in the long run.
“It’s clear from the data that people with type 2 diabetes are more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease,” he said.
“The idea is that [these drugs] It has the potential to reduce the incidence of Alzheimer’s disease.
“Alzheimer’s disease is a complex disease involving changes in several aspects of brain biology,” Dr. Griffin said.
“This highlights the need for an arsenal of medicines that target all aspects of biological change to defeat this devastating disease.”
Dr. Bernick said:
