Researchers have recently identified more potential uses for Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications, including treating opioid use disorder, alcohol use disorder and Alzheimer's disease.
Here's what to know:
1. Alzheimer's disease
Semaglutide, the active ingredient of Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus, was associated with a significantly lower risk for first-time Alzheimer's disease diagnosis, according to research published Oct. 24 in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association.
The study, conducted by researchers from Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Cleveland, analyzed nearly 1 million records of patients with Type 2 diabetes. Compared to other antidiabetic medicines, patients who took semaglutide had a 40% to 70% reduced risk of a first-time Alzheimer's diagnosis.
2. Opioid and alcohol use disorders
Loyola University Chicago researchers found an association between all FDA-approved GLP-1s and lower rates of opioid overdose and alcohol intoxication. The study authors used EHR data from 136 U.S. health systems to examine the rates of opioid overdoses and alcohol intoxication among patients with and without GLP-1 prescriptions.
Of 503,747 patients with history of OUD and 817,309 patients with history of AUD, there was "a strong protective association" for patients with GLP-1 prescriptions, according to findings published Oct. 16 in Addiction.
3. Cost-effectiveness compared to bariatric surgery
Although bariatric surgery has higher upfront costs, it offers two more quality-adjusted life years and annually saves patients about $9,000 compared to GLP-1s, according to research led by a team at Chicago-based Northwestern Medicine.
To determine the cost-effectiveness of GLP-1s and bariatric operations, the researchers analyzed the costs of these treatments until death (up to 50 years) and clinical trial efficacy findings for thousands of patients.
Read more about the study's findings here.