Semaglutide does not slow Alzheimer’s, despite initial hopes that it might help against dementia, new research has shown. 

What were the results?

Researchers carried out 2 large trials involving more than 3,800 people. Previous research suggested the drug, which is the active ingredient for the weight loss jab Wegovy, could delay the progression of clinical Alzheimer’s disease.

But the studies showed the GLP-1 drug made no difference compared to a placebo. The drug is already used to manage type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Treatment with semaglutide apparently resulted in improvement of Alzheimer’s disease-related biomarkers, but this did not translate into delaying progression symptoms.

What did the study involve?

The patients who took part in the Evoke trials were aged between 55 and 85 and had mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to Alzheimer’s disease. The trials were funded by Novo Nordisk, with support in the UK from the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

Participants were randomly assigned semaglutide or placebo, to compare the 2. Dementia progression was monitored and measured through tests and interviews.

The Join Dementia Research community played a role in this important research, with 18 volunteers taking part in the study.

Professor Paresh Malhotra, Specialty Lead for Dementia at the NIHR Research Delivery Network, said: “Despite the results not showing the desired outcome, they were well conducted so that they gave a clear answer. This is important work and there is hope in the field with 130 Alzheimer’s drugs in clinical trials and 30 in late-stage trials. This is the final step before they are considered by regulators, who decide whether to recommend their use for people with dementia.  

“It is absolutely vital for volunteers to take part in these trials to help identify effective treatments.  Thank you to the Join Dementia Research volunteers who took part in this study. The service was vital in connecting volunteers to the study, making the recruitment process easier and leading to faster results.”

The results are due to be presented at an Alzheimer’s disease conference next month.

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