Major Alzheimer’s trial disappoints, yet researchers see reason for hope
Novo Nordisk halted its trial early after semaglutide failed to slow cognitive decline. GLP-1 drugs didn't slow Alzheimer's, but the failure taught researchers something valuable Novo Nordisk recruited 3,808 people with early Alzheimer's and tested whether semaglutide — the drug in Ozempic and Wegovy — could slow their cognitive decline. After three years, the answer was unequivocal: it couldn't . The company announced in a press release that they had halted the Evoke trials early and cancelled a planned extension. The rationale seemed sound. People with obesity face a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's. Type 2 diabetes increases that risk further. Some scientists call Alzheimer's "type 3 diabetes" because of the role of insulin resistance in the brain. GLP-1 drugs successfully treat both obesity and diabetes, so why not Alzheimer's...
