(Bloomberg) -- Novo Nordisk A/S’s diabetes drug Victoza yielded mixed results in a mid-stage study of Alzheimer’s disease, failing to meet its primary goal while showing hints that larger trials of similar drugs may be successful.
While researchers have long focused on the toxic clumps of amyloid that build up in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients, elements of diabetes such as insulin resistance and difficulty processing glucose in the brain may also contribute. Drugs to address those issues, such as the popular GLP-1s that have been embraced for diabetes and weight loss, may be helpful.
Victoza didn’t improve brain metabolism relative to a placebo in the study of 204 Alzheimer’s patients. But there were signs of cognitive benefit, according to results being presented Tuesday at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in Philadelphia.
Taken together the results show that “this class of drug has great potential for treatment of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Paul Edison, a professor of neuroscience at Imperial College London who led the study. “It is very clear these agents have got some neuro-protective effect.”
Novo shares rose 2% after increasing 27% this year through Monday’s close. Shares of rival obesity-drug maker Eli Lilly & Co. gained less than 1% on Tuesday.
Big Opportunity
The findings could lead to another “very sizeable” opportunity for GLP-1s, Mizuho’s Jared Holz said in a note, adding that they could be used not only by Alzheimer’s patients but also to prevent the disease.
Novo isn’t pursuing Victoza for Alzheimer’s, but it is studying a newer GLP-1 pill that it currently sells for diabetes in two giant final stage trials. Success could lead to an entirely new market for the company’s blockbuster GLP-1 franchise. Results are expected in September 2025.
The drug used in the current study — also called liraglutide — is a shorter-acting version of semaglutide, better known as Novo’s Ozempic and Wegovy. It didn’t improve brain glucose metabolism more than a placebo after a year of treatment, as measured on brain scans. But other indicators suggested it was helpful.
On one scale used to assess the disease, cognition declined 18% slower in patients on Victoza than in those given a placebo, according to a statement released by the Alzheimer’s Association. They also had less brain volume loss. That’s potentially important as accelerated brain volume loss is a signature of Alzheimer’s disease.
A Novo spokesperson declined to comment on the Imperial College study.
Alzheimer’s affects more than 6 million Americans. Only two disease-slowing drugs are approved in the US, Leqembi from Eisai Co. and Kisunla from Eli Lilly & Co. Both work by removing amyloid from patients’ brains.
Should they work, GLP-1 drugs might provide a more convenient treatment option and potentially allow for combination therapy, doctors said.
“This research provides hope that more options for changing the course of the disease are on the horizon,” said Maria Carrillo, chief scientific officer at the Alzheimer’s Association, in a statement.
--With assistance from Naomi Kresge and Gerry Smith.
(Updates with shares, comment starting in fifth paragraph)
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