Drugs

NIH-Funded Study to Assess GLP-1 Drugs in Alzheimer’s

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati have launched a new study to investigate whether widely used diabetes and weight-loss drugs could help prevent or delay Alzheimer’s disease, a condition affecting more than 6 million Americans. Backed by two-year grant from the National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health, the research will analyze real-world patient data to assess the safety, effectiveness and cost of glucagon-like peptide-1, or GLP-1, drugs in people with mild cognitive impairment—a condition often seen as a precursor to Alzheimer’s.

The study is being led by Shawn Xiong, an assistant professor at the university’s James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy. Xiong says the project aims to determine whether drugs already widely prescribed drugs could be repurposed as a more accessible alternative to recently approved Alzheimer’s therapies, which can be costly.

Interest in GLP-1 drugs has surged in recent years due to their benefits in controlling blood sugar, aiding weight loss and reducing cardiovascular risk. Preclinical research has also suggested these medications may have neurological effects, including reducing brain inflammation, improving insulin signaling in the brain and enhancing communication between neurons, according to the university. Some smaller studies and anecdotal evidence have hinted that patients taking GLP-1 drugs may face a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s, but large-scale, long-term data has been lacking.

To address that gap, the Cincinnati team will use a research approach known as “target trial emulation,” which applies the rigor of a randomized clinical trial to existing health records. The study will draw on data from TriNetX, a global database containing de-identified medical records from more than 100 million patients. Using this dataset, researchers will compare outcomes among patients with mild cognitive impairment who take GLP-1 drugs versus those who receive no treatment or newer biologic therapies for Alzheimer’s. The analysis will focus on whether the drugs delay disease onset, their side-effect profile in older adults, and whether they offer a cost-effective alternative to current treatments.

Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton’s responses on vaccines, contraception and abortion medication during her 9/24 Senate confirmation hearing raise concerns that ideology could influence her decision-making if she takes over the agency, MSNBC senior medical analyst Dr. Vin Gupta said Friday. Gupta was particularly critical of Overton’

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton emerged from her Senate confirmation hearing Thursday (see earlier story) without resolving questions about whether she has enough Republican support to advance — and with a rapidly narrowing window for confirmation before the midterm elections. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing provided few

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA has classified Boston Scientific's recall of its Imager II Angiographic Catheters as Class I because a manufacturing problem could cause catheter tips to degrade and detach, potentially resulting in life-threatening complications. The agency announced the Class I classification 9/25, updating an Early Alert it issued

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome

FDA has approved Roche’s Gazyva (obinutuzumab) for reducing the risk of relapse in adults and children aged 2 and older with frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent, childhood-onset idiopathic nephrotic syndrome who are in remission. The expanded approval covers the use of the CD20-directed antibody beyond its existing

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Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome