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. 65 years or older with type 2 diabetes mellitus who received GLP-1 agonists, oral diabetes medications, DPP-4 inhibitors, or sulfonylureas.
Researchers Bowen Tang and Sara Hägg from the Swedish university’s Karolinska Institute led the study and their results were published in a medical journal. The lancet Thursday.
Dementia, a common neurological disorder associated with aging, interferes with daily activities due to its impact on memory and decision making.
Only one therapy approved in the US, Biogen’s (BIIB) and Eisai’s (OTCPK:ESALF) Leqembi (OTCPK:ESAIY), is indicated for the most common form of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease. A similar drug from Eli Lilly (New York Stock Exchange:LLY) called donanemab is currently under review by the FDA.
Citing follow-up data for up to 10 years, the researchers noted that of 12,351 patients taking GLP-1, 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 1,000 person-years, the respective incidence rates related to the three drugs were 6.7, 11.8, and 13.7.
Data were collected from patients who started treatment with the drugs from January 1, 2010 to June 30, 2020, during which period the most prescribed GLP-1 agonist in Sweden was liraglutide, marketed by Novo Nordisk (NVO) like Saxenda.
“Our research suggested that GLP-1 agonists were associated with a lower risk of dementia compared with sulfonylureas and DPP-4 inhibitors in older people with T2DM,” the study authors wrote. More clinical trials are needed to validate their findings, they added.
It is the latest evidence demonstrating the disruptive power of GLP-1, 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) gained FDA approval to market semaglutide to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events, such as stroke, in overweight or obese people. The Danish manufacturer has already demonstrated its potential to treat kidney-related disorders.
Meanwhile, studies are underway testing tirzepatide, a dual agonist of the GIP and GLP-1 receptors, in patients with a liver disease called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), for which the first FDA-approved therapy, Rezdiffra, It wasn’t released until April.
Rezdiffra developer Madrigal Pharmaceuticals (MDGL) traded lower in February after LLY said a Phase 2 trial with tirzepatide was successful in NASH.
On Friday, LLY said it plans to seek a label expansion for tirzepatide for the sleep disorder obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) starting this year. Shares of MedTechs, ResMed (RMD), Philips (PHG) and Inspire Medical Systems (INSP), which market respiratory care devices for OSA, fell in reaction.