A recent study suggests that the weight-loss drug liraglutide may help slow cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease patients. Liraglutide, also known as Saxenda, is typically used as a daily injection for diabetes and weight management.
The findings, presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in the United States, indicate that liraglutide could potentially slow the deterioration of memory and cognitive functions in individuals with Alzheimer’s. As the global population of dementia patients is projected to nearly triple to 153 million by 2050, these results offer a glimmer of hope for future treatment options.
“This research offers hope that new treatments altering the disease’s trajectory are on the horizon,” stated Dr. Maria Carrillo, Chief Science Officer of the Alzheimer’s Association. “We are in an era of unprecedented promise, with novel therapies at various stages of development that could slow or even prevent cognitive decline due to Alzheimer’s.”
The trial, conducted with 204 patients in the UK, divided participants into two groups: one received liraglutide, manufactured by Novo Nordisk, and the other received a placebo. While the study did not meet its primary objective of altering the cerebral glucose metabolic rate, a measure of brain function, it did achieve its secondary goals. Notably, the drug appeared to reduce the shrinkage of brain regions responsible for memory, learning, language, and decision-making by nearly 50% compared to the placebo.
Led by experts from Imperial College London, the research found that after 12 months of treatment, patients who took liraglutide exhibited an 18% reduction in cognitive decline. Tests assessing memory, comprehension, language, and spatial orientation revealed a “statistically significant slowing of cognitive decline” in those who took the drug compared to the placebo group.
Despite these promising results, experts caution that larger studies are needed to confirm these findings. Paul Edison, the study’s lead and a professor at Imperial College London, noted, “The slower loss of brain volume suggests that liraglutide may protect the brain similarly to how statins protect the heart. While further research is necessary, liraglutide may work through multiple mechanisms, such as reducing brain inflammation, decreasing insulin resistance, mitigating the toxic effects of Alzheimer’s biomarkers amyloid-beta and tau, and enhancing neuronal communication.”
Dr. Sheona Scales, Director of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, emphasized the potential benefits of repurposing existing drugs for new treatments. “This research demonstrates that early-stage Alzheimer’s patients taking liraglutide experienced slower memory and thinking decline, and reduced brain shrinkage over 12 months compared to placebo. However, the study involved a small sample size, and larger trials are underway to determine the drug’s effectiveness in slowing Alzheimer’s progression.”
Novo Nordisk did not sponsor the trial, but the company is conducting separate research on another weight-loss drug, semaglutide. Known commercially as the diabetes drug Ozempic and the obesity drug Wegovy, semaglutide is being tested in thousands of early Alzheimer’s patients, with results anticipated in 2025.
