Weight-loss jab is found to slow progression of Alzheimer’s

A breakthrough weight loss jab already prescribed to thousands of NHS patients could slash the risk of developing Alzheimer’s, promising research suggests. 

Liraglutide — sold under the brand name Saxenda — is often offered to people with with a BMI of over 30 as it improves blood sugar control and aids weight loss.

It works in a similar way to semaglutide — the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy — by altering the body’s metabolism, making people feel fuller and less hungry. 

Now, according to leading British experts, the once-a-day injections, which belong to a class of medications called GLP-1 agonists, could also slow cognitive decline and brain cell loss in Alzheimer’s patients by up to 50 per cent. 

The researchers today said the findings provide ‘some of the strongest evidence to date’ that weight loss jabs may help the condition and could pave the way for new dementia treatments. 

It comes as trial results last week showed semaglutide itself failed to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

Danish company, Novo Nordisk — who manufactures Ozempic and Wegovy — saw its share value drop by 12 per cent as it announced data from the two large clinical studies which did not show a ‘statistically significant’ benefit. 

Professor Paul Edison, a neuroscience expert at Imperial College London, who led the liraglutide study, said: ‘Our findings provide some of the strongest evidence yet that GLP-1 treatments could modify the disease process in Alzheimer’s disease.

‘Liraglutide has shown encouraging effects on brain structure and slowing of cognitive decline in our Phase 2b trial, and this has paved the way for a Phase 3 programme.

‘Because this drug is already approved for diabetes, advancing it for Alzheimer’s disease could be significantly faster than developing a new therapy from scratch.’

He added: ‘The ability to repurpose a drug with good safety data is a major advantage. We are not starting from zero.

‘This trial is important because it tests a completely different therapeutic strategy in Alzheimer’s disease—one that does not rely solely on amyloid.’

In the study, a total of 169 people with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease, aged 71 on average, were split into two groups.

Almost half (72) took liraglutide, while the remaining 82 patients were given a placebo. 

Over a follow-up of a year, a series of brain scans liraglutide slowed brain volume loss by roughly half compared to patients taking the placebo. 

It also had a 18 per cent more beneficial effect on cognition compared to the placebo. 

The researchers, however, found that liraglutide did not prevent the decline of brain glucose metabolism. 

The researchers did not say exactly why liraglutide slowed brain volume loss and improved cognition. 

But they noted that liraglutide has previously been found to reduce neuroinflammation and the build up of one toxic protein, tau, in the brain. 

Significant clumps of this protein, as well as another — amyloid — can form plaques and tangles. 

This is thought to be behind the symptoms of Alzheimer’s, the leading cause of dementia.

Writing in the journal Nature Medicine, the scientists said: ‘Although we acknowledge that this was a 12-month-duration study, which may be insufficient to definitively establish long-term clinical benefit in Alzheimer’s disease, it can still yield meaningful insights. 

‘Further studies are necessary to fully establish the effectiveness of this drug.’

Saxenda is already available on the health service as a weight loss treatment. 

But is only generally prescribed after a GP refers refers you to a specialist weight loss management service.

Side effects include aches and pains, diarrhoea, fever, frequent urination, and trouble sleeping.

Manufactured by Novo Nordisk, trials have found users lose an average of 6.4 per cent of their body weight over 68 weeks. 

Around 944,000 in the UK are thought to be living with dementia, with the figure is thought to be around 7million in the US.

Alzheimer’s affects around six in 10 people with dementia.

Memory problems, thinking and reasoning difficulties and language problems are common early symptoms of the condition, which then worsen over time.

Dr Richard Oakley, Associate Director of Research and Innovation at Alzheimer’s Society told the Daily Mail: ‘We at Alzheimer’s Society are pleased to have part-funded the ELAD trial which has provided interesting insights into liraglutide and its potential. 

‘However, recent results from a larger phase three trial of semaglutide, another GLP-1 drug, failed to show reduced cognitive decline in people with early Alzheimer’s disease. 

‘We now need to explore whether these drugs show promise when tested in people at risk of Alzheimer’s disease before symptoms appear.

‘As one in three people will go on to develop dementia in their lifetime, it’s important that we explore every possible avenue to beat dementia. 

Alzheimer’s Society is committed to supporting cutting-edge research such as the ELAD trial to drive change for everyone affected by dementia.’

Previous figures released by Alzheimer’s Research UK found 74,261 people died from dementia in 2022 compared with 69,178 a year earlier, making it the country’s biggest killer.