A closely anticipated trial has concluded with disappointing results for Novo Nordisk's blockbuster drug semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy. The company announced on Monday that two large studies found the drug did not slow cognitive decline or improve daily functioning in people with early Alzheimer's disease or dementia, the New York Times reports. Each trial included nearly 2,000 participants who took either a semaglutide pill or a placebo over two years.
Based on the results, the company is ending its research on Alzheimer's, at least for now. The findings are a setback for hopes that semaglutide—already seen as a breakthrough for obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease—might also address Alzheimer's, a field desperate for new treatments. The initial optimism was fueled by observational studies suggesting those taking semaglutide for diabetes had lower rates of Alzheimer's, as well as promising results in mice engineered to have Alzheimer's-like conditions.
However, experts pointed out that such studies are often unreliable, and that mice do not naturally develop the disease. Some Alzheimer's specialists were skeptical from the beginning, questioning why the drug would work in the brain, and CNN reports the studies were seen as a "long shot." Novo Nordisk's stock fell nearly 6% following the announcement, extending a recent decline—and hitting a 4-year low, per CNBC.
The company plans to present detailed results at conferences later this year and next. Despite the setback, some researchers, like Dr. Eric Reiman of the Banner Alzheimer's Institute, believe semaglutide could still have potential if used earlier, before symptoms appear.
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