Drug just like Ozempic slowed Parkinson’s disease in small trial

A highly popular class of medication for diabetes and obesity is showing early potential to assist 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, in keeping with 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 reduction counterpart Wegovy. 

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

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

The outcomes also add to the long list of potential health advantages of GLP-1s, which have skyrocketed in demand over the past 12 months for helping patients shed kilos and regulate their blood sugar. But more research is required to find out whether newer iterations of GLP-1s from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly may additionally help Parkinson’s patients. 

Each drugmakers are studying their respective weight reduction and diabetes treatments in patients with conditions akin to 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 start 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 brand new phase two trial, which was funded by the French Ministry for Health and Prevention and a U.K. charity called Cure Parkinson’s. 

In an announcement to CNBC, Sanofi said it was “pleased to see the positive outcomes of this study.” The corporate added that it’s open to “a discussion with the investigators of the study on providing support for his or her next phase of research.”

The trial followed 156 individuals with early Parkinson’s disease for a 12 months. All participants took their usual Parkinson’s medication within the study. But one group was given a further every day injection of Sanofi’s drug, while the opposite 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 2 groups was modest but remained two months after the trial stopped and patients went completely off therapy. 

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