A recent study has shown that a drug similar to Ozempic, known for its weight-loss benefits, does not help in treating Parkinson’s disease. This study, conducted in the United Kingdom, involved 194 people with Parkinson’s who received either exenatide or a placebo once a week for nearly two years. Unfortunately, the results showed that the drug did not slow down the disease or improve the symptoms, which was a big disappointment for researchers hoping it might help treat brain-related diseases like Parkinson’s.

This finding challenges earlier optimism about the potential of GLP-1 class drugs, which includes not only Ozempic but also others used for diabetes and weight loss, to benefit people with neurodegenerative diseases. Despite positive signs from smaller earlier studies, this larger study showed no real benefits from using exenatide for Parkinson’s disease, suggesting that these drugs may not be effective for this purpose.

The results of this study highlight the need for more research to understand how these drugs work in the brain before any more trials are conducted. Scientists like Dr. David Standaert from the University of Alabama emphasize that it’s crucial to identify what changes these drugs are supposed to make in the brain. This understanding will help direct future research and possibly lead to more effective treatments for diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

SOURCE:
NY Times, February 4, 2025