GLP-1 drugs didn't slow Alzheimer’s, but the failure taught researchers something valuable |
Novo Nordisk recruited 3,808 people with early Alzheimer's and tested whether semaglutide — the drug in Ozempic and Wegovy — could slow their cognitive decline. After three years, the answer was unequivocal: it couldn’t. The company announced in a press release that they had halted the Evoke trials early and cancelled a planned extension.
The rationale seemed sound. People with obesity face a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Type 2 diabetes increases that risk further. Some scientists call Alzheimer’s “type 3 diabetes” because of the role of insulin resistance in the brain. GLP-1 drugs successfully treat both obesity and diabetes, so why not Alzheimer’s too?
“These trial results are another reminder that Alzheimer’s is driven by several different biological processes,” explained Susan Kohlhaas, Executive Director of Research and Partnerships at Alzheimer’s Research UK. “No single approach is likely to be enough.”
Semaglutide did reduce Alzheimer’s biomarkers significantly, just not enough to stop cognitive decline. Experts point to a critical limitation: GLP-1 drugs have very limited ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and reach the central nervous system, where insulin resistance does its damage.
Yet researchers aren’t ready to abandon this approach entirely. “I wouldn't interpret this result as evidence that GLP-1 agonists are ineffective for Alzheimer’s disease more broadly,” said Matt Kaeberlein, professor of pathology at UW Medicine. He sees potential in combining GLP-1 drugs with lifestyle changes as prevention before symptoms emerge.
To learn why these drugs might work better as prevention before symptoms appear, and what researchers will test next, jump to “Can GLP-1s actually help treat Alzheimer’s? Latest trial data.”
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