Devonyu
A new peer-reviewed study suggested this week that GLP-1 drugs, popularly used for weight loss, are associated with a lower risk of dementia in older people with diabetes.
The trial considered real-world data from Sweden using more than 88,000 patients aged 65 or older with type 2 diabetes mellitus who received GLP-1 agonists, oral diabetic drugs, DPP-4 inhibitors, or sulfonylureas.
Researchers Bowen Tang and Sara Hägg at the Swedish university Karolinska Institute led the study, and its results were published in the medical journal The Lancet on Thursday.
A common neurological disorder associated with aging, dementia interferes with everyday activities due to its impact on memory and decision-making.
Only one U.S.-approved therapy, Leqembi from Biogen (BIIB) and Eisai (OTCPK:ESALF) (OTCPK:ESAIY), is indicated for the commonest form of dementia, the Alzheimer’s disease. A similar drug from Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) called donanemab is currently under FDA review.
Citing follow-up data for up to 10 years, the researchers noted that out of 12,351 patients on GLP-1s, only 278 developed dementia.
In contrast, 1,849 on DPP-4 inhibitors and 2,480 on sulfonylurea developed the condition out of 43,850 and 32,216 patients, respectively.
Based on 1000 person-years, the respective incidence rates linked to the three drugs stood at 6.7, 11.8, and 13.7.
The data were collected from patients who initiated the drugs from January 1, 2010, to June 30, 2020, during which the most prescribed GLP-1 agonist in Sweden was liraglutide, marketed by Novo Nordisk (NVO) as Saxenda.
“Our research suggested that GLP-1 agonists were associated with a lower risk of dementia compared to sulfonylureas and DPP-4 inhibitors in older individuals with T2DM,” the study authors wrote. Further clinical trials are required to validate their findings, they added.
It’s the latest evidence demonstrating the disruptive power of GLP-1s, a class of drugs that includes semaglutide and tirzepatide marketed by Novo Nordisk (NVO) and Eli Lilly (LLY) for weight loss and diabetes.
In March, Novo (NVO) won FDA approval to market semaglutide to cut the risk of major cardiovascular events such as stroke in obese/overweight people. The Danish drugmaker has already proven its potential to treat kidney-related disorders.
Meanwhile, studies are underway to test tirzepatide, a dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist, in patients with a liver disease called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), for which the first FDA-approved therapy, Rezdiffra, was only launched in April.
Rezdiffra’s developer, Madrigal Pharmaceuticals (MDGL), traded lower in February after LLY said a Phase 2 trial for tirzepatide succeeded in NASH.
On Friday, LLY said it plans to seek a label expansion for tirzepatide for the sleeping disorder obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as early as this year. Shares of MedTechs, ResMed (RMD), Philips (PHG), and Inspire Medical Systems (INSP), which market respiratory care devices for OSA, fell in reaction.