Diabetes drug similar to Ozempic helped slow progression of Parkinson’s disease in small trial

A
highly
popular

class
of
drugs
for
diabetes
and
obesity
is
showing

early
potential
to
help
patients
with
Parkinson’s
disease,
too. 

An
older
diabetes
treatment
called

lixisenatide
helped
slow
the
progression
of
motor
disability
after
12
months
in
patients
at
an
early
stage
of
the
condition,
according
to
results
from
a
small
mid-stage
trial
published
Wednesday.
The
drug,
made
by


Sanofi,
is
a
GLP-1
like


Novo
Nordisk‘s
blockbuster
diabetes
injection
Ozempic
and
weight
loss
counterpart
Wegovy. 

Motor
disability
refers
to
symptoms
such
as
tremors,
stiffness
and
slowness
of
movement,
which
can
make
it
difficult
for
patients
to
walk,
talk
and
swallow.
Researchers
from
France
said
larger
and
longer
studies
are
needed
to
fully
determine
the
efficacy
and
safety
of
Sanofi’s
treatment
in
patients
with
the
degenerative
brain
illness,
including
how
long
the
benefits
may
last.

Still,
the
results,

published
late
Wednesday
in
The
New
England
Journal
of
Medicine
mark
an
encouraging
step
forward
in
the
decades-long
effort
to
tackle
Parkinson’s
disease.
As
many
as
half
a
million
Americans
have
been
diagnosed
with
the
condition,
which
is
characterized
by
nerve
cell
damage
in
the
brain. 

The
results
also
add
to
the
long
list
of
potential
health
benefits
of
GLP-1s,
which
have
skyrocketed
in
demand
over
the
last
year
for
helping
patients
shed
pounds
and
regulate
their
blood
sugar.
But
more
research
is
needed
to
determine
whether
newer
iterations
of
GLP-1s
from
Novo
Nordisk
and


Eli
Lilly
may
also
help
Parkinson’s
patients. 

Both
drugmakers
are
studying
their
respective
weight
loss
and
diabetes
treatments
in
patients
with
conditions
such
as
sleep
apnea
and
fatty
liver
disease,
but
neither
are
examining
their
drugs
in
managing
Parkinson’s
disease. 

Sanofi
pulled
lixisenatide
from
the
market
at
the
beginning
of
2023.
The
French
drugmaker
has
said
the

discontinuation
of
the
treatment
was
a
business
decision
that
was
unrelated
to
its
safety
and
efficacy. 

Sanofi
provided
the
drug
to
the
researchers
and
advised
them
on
the
characteristics
of
the
medication,
but
otherwise
was
not
involved
in
the
new
phase
two
trial.
It
was
funded
by
the
French
Ministry
for
Health
and
Prevention,
a
U.K.
charity
called
Cure
Parkinson’s
and
an
independent
biomedical
research
organization
called
Van
Andel
Institute

In
a
statement
to
CNBC,
Sanofi
said
it
was “pleased
to
see
the
positive
outcomes
of
this
study.”
The
company
added
that
it
is
open
to “a
discussion
with
the
investigators
of
the
study
on
providing
support
for
their
next
phase
of
research.”

The
trial
followed
156
people
with
early
Parkinson’s
disease
for
a
year.
All
participants
took
their
usual
Parkinson’s
medication
in
the
study.
But
one
group
was
given
an
additional
daily
injection
of
Sanofi’s
drug,
while
the
other
was
given
a
placebo.

Patients
who
received
lixisenatide
showed
essentially
no
progression
of
motor
symptoms,
while
those
given
the
placebo
showed
worsening
motor
problems.
The
difference
between
the
two
groups
was
modest
but
remained
two
months
after
the
trial
stopped
and
patients
went
completely
off
therapy. 

But
use
of
Sanofi’s
drug
was
associated
with
an
increased
risk
of
gastrointestinal
side
effects,
which
are
common
across
all
GLP-1s.
Nearly
half
of
patients
who
took
the
drug
in
the
trial
experienced
nausea,
while
13%
reported
vomiting.