(NewsNation) — Novo Nordisk announced Monday that in two closely watched studies, an oral version of semaglutide failed to help slow the progression of Alzheimer’s.
The trials, which involved more than 3,800 early-stage patients, assessed changes in memory and daily functioning over two years. They also evaluated whether an older semaglutide formulation was more effective than placebo.
The two Phase 3 trials, which tested whether the drug could slow cognitive decline in thousands of patients with mild symptoms, did show an effect on Alzheimer’s biomarkers — though Novo didn’t specify which ones — but the treatment did not delay disease progression.
“While semaglutide did not demonstrate efficacy in slowing the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, the extensive body of evidence supporting semaglutide continues to provide benefits for individuals with Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and related comorbidities,” said Martin Holst Lange, chief scientific officer at Novo Nordisk.
More than 55 million people worldwide live with Alzheimer’s and other dementias, according to Alzheimer’s Disease International, and no cure exists.
The trials were widely viewed as a test of whether GLP-1 drugs, taken by millions for diabetes and weight loss, might slow Alzheimer’s progression. A positive trial result could have given the company an edge over competitors.
Novo said it would present topline trial data on Dec. 3 at an Alzheimer’s conference, with full results due at another meeting in March next year.