In order to determine whether Ozempic increased the risk of various neurological and psychiatric conditions in the first year of use compared with three popular antidiabetic drugs, the study, which was published in the Lancet’s eClinicalMedicine journal on Thursday, examined more than 100 million medical records of patients in the United States.
WHY IT’S ESSENTIAL
This research contributes to dispelling the myth that semaglutide treatment—originally prescribed for type 2 diabetes but now approved for weight loss under the brand name Wegovy—raises the risk of suicidal thoughts.
The results also imply that semaglutide and related medication therapy may help lessen cravings for nicotine and may be linked to a decreased risk of dementia.
Further thorough randomized controlled trials are required to validate the results. The results cannot be applied to individuals without diabetes, the authors added with caution.
Novo Nordisk’s U.S.-listed shares increased 1.8%, while Eli Lilly’s shares increased 1.6%.
The Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation’s chief science officer, Howard Fillit, stated that the study is the most recent in a line of research indicating medications in this class may be beneficial for cognition.
Fillit went on to say that observational studies like this one are merely suggestive. “A randomized clinical trial is the solution to all those limitations, and that’s precisely what Novo is doing.
“Shares of competitor Eli Lilly increased 1.6%, while Novo Nordisk’s U.S.-listed shares increased 1.8%.Semaglutide was tested in patients with early Alzheimer’s disease by the Danish drugmaker in 2021; results were anticipated by 2025.