What effect on the brain have drugs similar to Ozempic been shown to have?

While the ‘Ozempic-craze’ has subsided, research on the long-term impacts of the types of drugs classified as GLP-1 agonists on the body has not.

Lauded as a weight loss miracle drug, there are new studies that GLP-1s could have additional benefits in treating other diseases, including Alzheimer’s. A new study presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, which took place in Toronto, highlighted some positive results of studies that showed the drug could slow the progression of the illness.

The results highlight the power of these types of drugs, aside from their ability to support weight loss. In the study presented by Paul Edison, a professor of neuroscience at Imperial College London, the researchers found that patients who took a GLP-1 drug saw a “slower decline of temporal lobe volume and total grey matter volume” on MRIs compared to the placebo group. “This was associated with slower decline in cognitive function,” reported the team.

FDA and European regulators conflict over drug approval

Those who have seen a friend or family struggle with diseases like Alzheimer’s will understand how important these findings are, particularly as treatments touted for their benefits have been found to be ineffective after having been approved by medical regulators. The news does not stop there; a few months ago, another drug, Leqembi, which has a totally different mechanism to the GLP-1 drugs, was also shown to have significant effects on slowing the pace of Alzheimer’s. However, there are still concerns about the drug’s efficacy. The pharmaceutical regulatory body in the European Union denied approval after the Food and Drug Adminstration gave the green light on the drug in the US. The European authority explained that while the drug did show some promise, compared to the placebo group, it was “small” and thus “does counterbalance the risk of serious adverse events associated with the medicine.” Some of the main side effects were swelling and bleeding in the brain, which can be fatal.

European regulators have also become frustrated with the lax use of GLP-1 drugs for non-diabetics because of shortages that have taken place since 2022 across the block. The EU has called on countries to work together to solve the problem, though they remain unhopeful that such efforts will be accomplished this year.

What is Ozempic?

Before its more widespread adoption as a treatment for weight loss, the drug was mostly prescribed to Type 2 diabetics to lower their blood sugar. However, after some doctors noticed its weight loss benefits, celebrities have been lining up to begin their course of Ozempic. Currently, the medication must be injected, but some pharmaceutical companies are planning on releasing a pill version, which could be made available sometime this year.

Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Saxenda are highly effective drugs for weight loss and are FDA-approved. Ozempic and Mounjaro are specifically meant to treat type 2 diabetes, while Saxenda and Wegovy are prescribed for weight loss purposes.

Semaglutide drugs work by imitating a gut hormone known as glucagon-like peptide hormone, or GLP. According to Dr. Amanda Velazquez, who works for Weight Management and Metabolic Health in Los Angeles, this drug “makes that gut hormone work better to enhance communication between the gut and the brain and make us feel fuller and also help with reducing appetite.” Our bodies often work to maintain weight as rapid weight loss can be a sign of distress, and the drug works by “telling the body it’s okay to be at a lower set point.”