Tag: GLP-1 agonist

Categories : Diet and Nutrition GastrointestinalTags :

Specific Type of Dietary Fibre Could Stimulate GLP-1 Release

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Gut Microbiome. Credit Darryl Leja National Human Genome Research Institute National Institutes Of Health

New research led by Frank Duca, associate professor at the University of Arizona, suggests that consuming foods rich in beta-glucan, a type of fibre found in oats and barley, can reduce body weight and obesity by stimulating the release of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). The study, published in The Journal of Nutrition, analysed the impact of different fibres on gut microbiota.

“We know that fibre is important and beneficial; the problem is that there are so many different types of fibre,” Duca said. “We wanted to know what kind of fibre would be most beneficial for weight loss and improvements in glucose homeostasis so that we can inform the community, the consumer and then also inform the agricultural industry.”

Not all fibre is created equal

The researchers looked at the effect of five different plant-based fibres in rodent diets: pectin, beta-glucan, wheat dextrin, starch and cellulose. Only beta-glucan resulted in reduction of body weight and fat, as well as improvements in glucose homeostasis. Beta-glucan is a unique fibre that is found in many foods, including oats, barley, mushrooms and yeasts, and future studies will examine how different sources of beta-glucan could differ in their effectiveness.

Changes in metabolites – the molecules produced when gut bacteria interact with fibre – seemed to be responsible for the weight-loss effects,  particularly a specific metabolite called butyrate. Butyrate is a key fuel source for colon cells, promoting a healthy gut barrier to reduce systemic inflammation. Butyrate also induces the release of gut peptides, or messengers that regulate the functions of the gut, such GLP-1.

Drugs like semaglutide are synthetic versions of GLP-1, which stimulate insulin and can also help people feel full. One key difference of naturally occurring GLP-1 is its rapid degradation near the intestine, whereas semaglutide is made to last longer and target the brain.

“Part of the benefits of consuming dietary fibre is through the release of GLP-1 and other gut peptides that regulate appetite and body weight,” Duca said. “However, we don’t think that’s all of the effect. We think that there are other beneficial things that butyrate could be doing that are not gut peptide related, such as improving gut barrier health and targeting peripheral organs like the liver.”

Duca is researching other types of fibre that can be beneficial for weight reduction. In a previous study, the Duca Lab discovered that barley flour was the most effective in promoting weight loss compared to several other commercially available flours. Other studies involving oligofructose have also demonstrated beneficial effects. In the future, Duca hopes to collaborate with other researchers to develop enhanced fibres that can optimise the release of butyrate.

Source: University of Arizona

Categories : Metabolic DisordersTags :

New Method Could Boost GLP-1 Agonists While Reducing Side Effects

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Photo by I Yunmai on Unsplash

By modulating a network of proteins found in the central nervous system, the effectiveness and reduce the side effects of glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 agonists.

The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, focused on two proteins called melanocortin 3 and melanocortin 4 found primarily on the surface of neurons in the brain that play a central role in regulating feeding behaviour and maintaining the body’s energy balance.

Melanocortin 3 and melanocortin 4 impact everything from sensing long-term energy stores to processing signals from the gut regarding short-term fullness, or satiety, said U-M physiologist Roger Cone, who led the study.

The GLP-1 agonist class, which includes semaglutides and tirzepatides, has received substantial attention recently for their effectiveness in treating not only type 2 diabetes, but also obesity, heart disease and potentially addiction. They work by mimicking a natural satiation hormone, triggering the brain to reduce feeding behaviour.

“So the obvious question for us was: How do these GLP-1 drugs, which work by manipulating satiety signals, function when we prime the melanocortin system?” said Cone, professor of molecular and integrative physiology at the U-M Medical School and director of the U-M Life Sciences Institute where his lab is located.

Working in mouse models, Cone and his colleagues tested the effects of several hormones that reduce food intake. They compared the results in normal mice with mice that genetically lacked the MC3R protein, in mice that were given chemicals to block the activity of MC3R, and in mice that were given a drug to increase the activity of MC4R. (Because MC3R is a natural negative regulator of MC4R, meaning it decreases the activity of MC4R, blocking MC3R and increasing MC4R activity has similar effects.)

In all cases, Naima Dahir, first author of the study and a postdoctoral research fellow in Cone’s lab, and colleagues found that adjusting the melanocortin system – either by inhibiting MC3R or increasing MC4R activity – made the mice more sensitive to GLP-1 drugs and other hormones that affect feeding behaviour. The mice that were given a GLP-1 drug in combination with an MC4R agonist or MC3R antagonist showed up to five times more weight loss and reduced feeding than mice receiving only the GLP-1 drugs.

“We found that activating the central melanocortin system hypersensitises animals to the effects of not just GLP-1s, but to every anti-feeding hormone we tested,” Cone said.

The researchers also measured activity in parts of the brain thought to trigger nausea in response to GLP-1 drugs and observed no increased activation when GLP-1 drugs were combined with alterations to the melanocortin system. In contrast, priming of the melanocortin neurons significantly increased GLP-1 drug activation of neurons in hypothalamic feeding centres in the brain.

The findings indicate that pairing the existing GLP-1 drugs with an MC4R agonist could increase sensitivity to the desired effects of the drugs by up to fivefold, without increasing unwanted side effects. Ultimately, this approach could enable patients who are sensitive to the side effects to take a lower dose, or could improve the results in patients who have not responded to the existing drug dosages. Further drug development and clinical testing are needed before this can occur.

While this research has been conducted only in mouse models, Cone is optimistic that the results will translate well to humans.

“The melanocortin system is highly conserved in humans,” he said. “Everything we’ve observed in the mouse over the past decades studying these proteins has also been found in humans, so I suspect that these results would also be translatable to patients.”

Source: University of Michigan

Categories : Cancer Metabolic DisordersTags :

Study Shows no Thyroid Cancer Risk from GLP-1 Agonists

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By HualinXMN – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=133759262

GLP-1 analogues have become increasingly popular to treat diabetes and obesity, but there have been concerns that they might increase the risk of thyroid cancer. Now an extensive Scandinavian study led by researchers at Karolinska Institutet has found no evidence of such a link. The study is published in The BMJ.

GLP-1 receptor agonists, also known as GLP-1 analogues, reduce blood sugar levels and appetite. They are widely used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity, with their clinical use steadily increasing. Earlier studies and adverse event data have suggested that these drugs could be associated with an increased risk of thyroid tumours. However, due to limitations in data and methodology, clear conclusions could not be drawn, leading to uncertainty about this potential side effect.

“Many people take these medicines, so it is important to study potential risks associated with them,” says Björn Pasternak, principal researcher at the Department of Medicine, Solna, at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. “Our study covers a broad group of patients and provides strong support that GLP-1 analogues are not associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer.” 

The researchers analysed national register data from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden of about 145 000 patients treated with GLP-1 analogues, mainly liraglutide or semaglutide, and 290 000 patients treated with another diabetes drug (DPP4 inhibitors). The risk of thyroid cancer was compared between the groups over an average follow-up period of just under four years. 

GLP-1 treatment was not associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer. The results were consistent also when compared to a third diabetes medication group (SGLT2 inhibitors).

“We cannot rule out that the risk of certain subtypes of thyroid cancer is increased in smaller patient groups that we could not study here, for example in people with a high congenital risk of medullary thyroid cancer who are advised against using these drugs,” says Peter Ueda, assistant professor at the Department of Medicine, Solna, at Karolinska Institutet.

The ongoing research program at Karolinska Institutet investigates the effects and potential side effects of newer diabetes medications such as GLP-1 analogues and SGLT2 inhibitors. These medications are now being used to treat broader patient groups, including those with obesity, heart failure, and kidney failure.

“We know from randomised clinical trials that they have positive effects, but clinical reality is different with patients varying in disease severity, comorbidities, and adherence to treatment recommendations,” says Björn Pasternak. “It’s therefore essential to investigate how these medicines perform in everyday clinical settings.”

Source: Karolinska Institutet

Categories : Metabolic Disorders Surgeries & ProceduresTags :

GLP-1 Agonists may Increase Risk of Aspiration Pneumonia after Endoscopy

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By HualinXMN – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=133759262

New research from Cedars-Sinai found that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are associated with an increased risk of aspiration pneumonia following endoscopy. The large, population-based study is published in the leading peer-reviewed journal Gastroenterology.

One way the new obesity medications work is by slowing digestion, so people feel full longer, causing them to eat less.

This also means that food sits in the stomach longer. As a result, the stomach may not empty completely during the usual duration of fasting that is recommended ahead of a surgical procedure to decrease risk of aspiration, explained the study’s corresponding author, Ali Rezaie, MD, medical director of the GI Motility Program and director of bioinformatics at the MAST Program at Cedars-Sinai.

“Aspiration during or after endoscopy can be devastating,” Rezaie said.

“If significant, it can lead to respiratory failure, ICU admission and even death. Even mild cases may require close monitoring, respiratory support and medications including antibiotics. It is important we take all possible precautions to prevent aspiration from occurring.”

The study analysed data from nearly 1 million de-identified U.S. patients who underwent upper or lower endoscopy procedures between January 2018 and December 2020.

Patients who were prescribed GLP-1RA medications had a 33% higher chance of experiencing aspiration pneumonia than those who did not take these medications before the procedure.

This comparison also considered other variables that could influence the outcome to ensure a fair comparison between the two groups.

“When we apply this risk to the more than 20 million endoscopies that are performed in the U.S. each year, there may actually be a large number of cases where aspiration could be avoided if the patient safely stops their GLP-1RA medication in advance,” Rezaie said.

“The results of this study could change clinical practice,” said Yee Hui Yeo, MD, first author of the study and a clinical fellow in the Karsh Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Cedars-Sinai. “Patients taking these medications who are scheduled to undergo a procedure should communicate with their healthcare team well in advance to avoid unnecessary and unwanted complications.”

Source: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Categories : Diseases, Syndromes and Conditions Metabolic DisordersTags :

GLP-1 Agonists Associated with Reduced Risk of Liver Diseases

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By HualinXMN – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=133759262

GLP1 agonists such as Ozempic (semaglutide) are associated with a reduced risk of developing cirrhosis and liver cancer in people with type 2 diabetes and chronic liver disease, according to a nationwide study from Karolinska Institutet published in the journal Gut.

GLP1 agonists reduce blood sugar levels and are mainly used to treat type 2 diabetes. Since the drug also reduces appetite, it is now increasingly used to treat obesity and has become a popular weight-loss drug.

Reduced risk of liver damage

Results from early clinical trials also suggest that GLP1 agonists may reduce the risk of liver damage. Therefore, researchers at Karolinska Institutet included all people in Sweden with chronic liver disease and type 2 diabetes in a register-based study. They then compared the risk of severe liver damage in those who were treated with GLP1 agonists and those who were not. The results show that those who took the drug for a long period of time had a lower risk of later developing more severe forms of liver disease such as cirrhosis and liver cancer.

According to the researchers, this suggests that GLP1 agonists could be an effective treatment to avoid severe liver disease in people with concurrent type 2 diabetes.

“Fatty liver disease is estimated to affect up to one in five people in Sweden, many of whom have type 2 diabetes, and about one in twenty develop severe liver disease,” says first author Axel Wester, assistant professor at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet. “Our findings are interesting because there are currently no approved drugs to reduce this risk.”

Many of the people in the study stopped taking GLP1 agonists, resulting in a lack of protective effect. However, those who continued taking their medication over a ten-year period were half as likely to develop severe liver disease.

Clinical trials needed for confirmation

“The results need to be confirmed in clinical trials, but it will take many years for these studies to be completed,” says Axel Wester. “Therefore, we use existing registry data to try to say something about the effect of the drugs before that.”

A limitation of the method is that it is not possible to control for factors for which there is no data, such as blood tests to describe the severity of liver disease in more detail. However, the researchers have recently built a new database called HERALD where they have access to blood samples from patients in Region Stockholm.

“As a next step, we will investigate the effect of GLP1 agonists in this database,” says the study’s last author Hannes Hagström, consultant in hepatology at the Karolinska University Hospital and adjunct professor at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge, Karolinska Institutet. “If we get similar results, it would further strengthen the hypothesis that GLP1 agonists can be used to reduce the risk of severe liver disease.”

The research was mainly funded by Region Stockholm (CIMED), the Swedish Research Council and the Swedish Cancer Society. Hannes Hagström’s research group has received funding from Astra Zeneca, EchoSens, Gilead, Intercept, MSD, Novo Nordisk and Pfizer, although no industry-supported funding was obtained for this specific study.

Source: Karolinska Institutet

Categories : Metabolic DisordersTags :

GLP-1 Agonist Users Report Reduced Alcohol Cravings

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In social media posts on the community network Reddit, users reported reduced cravings for alcohol when taking drugs intended to treat Type 2 diabetes and obesity. Across a number of threads – with titles such as “Did scientists accidentally invent an anti-addiction drug?” and “I don’t know if this is a side effect but … Mounjaro makes me drink less!!!!!” – users reported a changing relationship with beer, wine, and liquor.

An analysis of those posts, together with a remote study of individuals with obesity who reported using semaglutide and tirzepatide, found that the drugs decreased cravings and reduced alcohol consumption, according to a study by Virginia Tech researchers published in Scientific Reports.

“These findings add to a growing literature that these medications may curb dangerous drinking habits,” said Warren Bickel, Virginia Tech Carilion Behavioral Health Research Professor at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC and corresponding author.

Combing Reddit for users’ experiences

Scientists with the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute’s Addiction Recovery Research Center combined two different studies to build on existing research, including studies that showed the drugs were effective in reducing alcohol consumption in animal models.

The first was an analysis of more than 68 000 Reddit posts from 2009-23 that included terms linked to GLP-1 approved medications.

Semaglutide is a GLP-1 agonist, a class of drugs that reduce blood sugar and energy intake by mimicking the actions of hormones released after eating.

Among the keywords included in the search were Mounjaro, Wegovy, Ozempic, and Trulicity.

After cleaning the resulting data – such as eliminating comments with fewer than 100 characters – the set was narrowed to 33 609 posts from 14 595 unique users.

The study was unique in using Reddit to analyse the reported experience of thousands of users.

On examining alcohol-related discussions, researchers found that 962 individuals made 1580 alcohol-related posts.

Of those, 71.7% addressed reduced cravings, reduced usage, and other negative effects due to drinking.

In a second study, 153 participants who self-reported having obesity were recruited from various social media platforms.

Roughly a third of these participants represented the control group, a third were taking either a semaglutide injection or tablet, and a third were using tirzepatide.

Participants on semaglutide or tirzepatide reported drinking significantly fewer drinks, on average, than those in the control group who were not on any medication for diabetes or weight loss.

In addition, researchers found that both the average number of drinks and the odds of binge drinking were found to be significantly lower.

Results also found that the stimulative and sedative effects of alcohol intoxication are reduced when taking these medications.

“Participants reported drinking less, experienced fewer effects of alcohol when they did drink it, and decreased odds of binge drinking,” said Alexandra DiFeliceantonio, assistant professor at Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and one of the study’s co-authors.

Researchers believe theirs is the first published report following tirezepatide, sold under the brand name Mounjaro, which was approved in 2022 and is used for treatment of Type 2 diabetes and weight loss.

Why this matters

Case studies and reports in the popular press hint at the drugs’ unexpected side effect of reducing addictive behaviors, including the desire to consume alcohol.

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved only three medications to treat alcohol use disorder: disulfiram, naltrexone, and acamprosate.

They have shown only modest success, have poor compliance, and are underprescribed.

The authors suggest further randomized controlled trials to explore the therapeutic potential of GLP-1 agonists and GIP/GLP-1 combination drugs to treat alcohol use disorder, which affects 5.9% of individuals in the United States ages 12 and older.

In addition, the participants identified as mostly white and female, and further studies in more diverse populations are needed to examine sex and race differences.

“Although evidence supporting the use of these medications for alcohol use disorder is growing, the field still needs to learn considerably more about them, particularly in identifying the underlying mechanisms. We plan to contribute to that effort,” Bickel said.

The drugs are a promising development in the study of alcohol use disorder. Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health indicate 15.7 million people in the United States meet the criteria for the chronic, relapsing brain disorder that is a significant contributor to global mortality yet remains one of the most undertreated conditions, Bickel said.

Source: Virginia Tech

Categories : Metabolic DisordersTags :

Liraglutide Results in Increased Insulin Sensitivity Independent of Weight Loss

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A new Vanderbilt University study published in the journal Diabetes demonstrates that a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonist, a member of a class of medication used to treat Type 2 diabetes and obesity, can lead to a rapid improvement in insulin sensitivity.

Insulin sensitivity is how responsive cells are to insulin; reduced insulin sensitivity or insulin resistance is a feature of Type 2 diabetes, so improving it can reduce the risk of developing the disease or improve its treatment.

GLP-1R agonists are medications that influence metabolism, such as decreasing blood sugar levels by promoting insulin secretion. Dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors block the degradation of the body’s own endogenous GLP-1, as well as other peptide hormones such as glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP).

“We know that GLP-1R agonists promote weight loss, but we were surprised to find that the GLP-1R agonist liraglutide also has rapid effects on insulin sensitivity, independent from weight loss,” said Mona Mashayekhi MD, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism.

“This effect requires activation of the GLP-1 receptor, but increasing the body’s own endogenous GLP-1 through the use of the DPP4 inhibitor sitagliptin does not achieve similar effects.”

“Our research suggests that liraglutide, and presumably other GLP-1R agonists, are having important metabolic effects in a way that’s different from increasing endogenous GLP-1 levels, even though they’re using the same receptor. Future research will focus on potential mechanisms of how GLP-1R agonists are improving insulin sensitivity independent of weight loss.”

Eighty-eight individuals with obesity and pre-diabetes were randomized for 14 weeks to receive the GLP-1R agonist liraglutide, the dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitor sitagliptin, or weight loss without drug using a low-calorie diet.

To further investigate the GLP-1R-dependent effects of the treatments, the GLP-1R antagonist exendin and a placebo were given in a two-by-two crossover study during mixed meal tests.

Crossover studies allow the response of a subject to treatment A to be compared with the same subject’s response to treatment B.

Liraglutide was shown to rapidly improve insulin sensitivity as well as decrease blood glucose within two weeks of beginning treatment and before any weight loss.

“GLP-1R agonists are an exciting class of medications, given their strong glucose-lowering effects combined with tremendous weight-loss benefits, and they have transformed how we manage diabetes and obesity in the clinic,” Mashayekhi said.

“Since the number of medications in this class is rapidly expanding, a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of benefit is crucial so we can design the right drugs for the desired effects in the right patients.”

The investigators’ prior research demonstrated that liraglutide, but not sitagliptin or diet, improves measures of heart disease and inflammation.

This matches the clinical findings of reduced cardiovascular disease with GLP-1R agonist treatment.

Future studies will continue to explore both receptor- and weight loss-dependent effects of GLP-1R agonists in humans.

Source: Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Categories : Metabolic Disorders Obstetrics & GynaecologyTags :

Newer Diabetes Drugs don’t Increase Risk to Foetus

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Newer diabetes medicines do not appear to increase the risk of birth defects. The largest comparative study to date found no increased risk compared to treatment with insulin, which is considered safe during pregnancy. The study was published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Newer diabetes drugs such as sulfonylureas, DPP-4 inhibitors, GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT2 inhibitors are being increasingly used, both in the treatment of diabetes, but also extended indications for several of the preparations. 

However, knowledge of the foetal effects of these drugs is still low, so women with type 2 diabetes are often advised to switch to insulin before a planned pregnancy because it is considered safe. However, not all pregnancies are planned and more and more people are becoming pregnant while being treated with these drugs.

An international research team has now investigated whether the use of these drugs during pregnancy increases the risk of birth defects. The researchers used health data from 3.5 million pregnancies in six different countries (Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, USA and Israel) between 2009 and 2021. Among these 3.5 million women, nearly 52 000 were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and more than 8000 took one of the newer diabetes drugs in the three months before or after their last menstrual period.

Diabetes itself poses a risk of birth defects. High blood sugar levels in early pregnancy, which are more common in people with diabetes, increase the risk of foetal malformations. Therefore, the researchers were not surprised to see a slightly elevated risk in this group.

Among women diagnosed with type 2 diabetes before pregnancy, 5.3% of babies were born with severe birth defects, including 2.2% with heart defects, compared to the overall group where 3.8% had severe birth defects and 1.3% with heart defects. 

No increased risk of birth defects

However, the researchers found that the women with diabetes treated with the newer diabetes drugs did not have a higher risk of giving birth to children with birth defects than the women with diabetes treated with insulin.

“It has already been shown that insulin is safe to use during pregnancy and that it does not cross the placenta. The increased risk of birth defects in the children of women with type 2 diabetes using the newer diabetes drugs is therefore very likely caused by the disease,” says first author Carolyn Cesta, Associate Professor at the Center for Drug Epidemiology at Karolinska Institutet.

Despite being the largest study in this field to date, covering more than 3.5 million pregnancies, relatively few women used the new diabetes drugs, and the researchers stress that further studies are needed to confirm the results. However, they note that the study still shows that these drugs do not pose a major risk of birth defects.

As type 2 diabetes becomes more common among women of childbearing age and as GLP-1 receptor agonists such as semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic) are approved to treat obesity, the number of exposed pregnancies is likely to increase. 

“Our findings provide a first indication of the safety of infants exposed to these medications during pregnancy,” says Carolyn Cesta.

Source: Karolinska Institutet

Categories : Metabolic DisordersTags :

Public Urged To Use Registered Ozempic Products

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Photos supplied by Novo Nordisk

The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) is aware of the falsified Ozempic products currently being sold on the market and online.

SAHPRA has been informed of advertisements regarding unauthorised Ozempic/semaglutide-containing products that are being disseminated through radio stations and social media platforms.

The Regulator is warning the public to be wary of products claiming to be Ozempic (semaglutide) which are not approved by SAHPRA.  

Ozempic is a Schedule 4, prescription-only medicine, authorised by SAHPRA only for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus in adults. SAHPRA has not authorised/registered Ozempic for weight-loss, therefore, use in that regard would be off-label. It must be noted that only a healthcare practitioner can make a Schedule 4 product available off-label as they would provide the requisite guidance and support to the patient/individual.

Novo Nordisk South Africa, who is the Holder of Certificate of Registration (HCR) has confirmed a national shortage of Ozempic stock; this resulted in limited access to treatment for diabetic patients. This may have created an opportunity for falsified/counterfeit products flooding the market claiming to be Ozempic and being used off-label for weight loss. Consumers should be wary of online offers for products claiming to be Ozempic or semaglutide.

Currently, there are no generic versions of this medicine being lawfully manufactured. Therefore, any product not manufactured by Novo Nordisk claiming to contain semaglutide is likely to be fake or counterfeit. The public is being exposed to many different types of unregistered/unauthorised products that are either substandard or falsified thereby putting their health at risk. See examples of registered vs counterfeit products.

Registered products safe to use
Ozempic solution for injection is a registered product by SAHPRA belonging to the HCR, Novo Nordisk South Africa.

There are only two (2) registered presentations of the pre-filled pen for Ozempic available in South Africa namely, Ozempic 0,25 mg and 0,5 mg/dose pen and Ozempic 1 mg/dose pen.

What the public should know

  • Using unregistered semaglutide products claiming to have the effects of Ozempic bought from unverified/illegally trading suppliers could be detrimental to your health as these have not been evaluated by SAHPRA for safety, quality, and efficacy.
  • These falsified/fake Ozempic products may contain certain active ingredients found in the registered Ozempic products; however, the formulations or manufacturing processes may be different. These formulations have not been evaluated by SAHPRA.
  • SAHPRA urges the public to first consult their medical professionals for their health treatment and prescriptions, and only purchase or use SAHPRA registered/authorised products sold at registered pharmacies.
  • Any medicines that are bought outside of the legal supply chain:
    • May not contain any active ingredient.
    • May contain dangerous levels of the active ingredient.
    • May contain another active ingredient such as insulin instead of semaglutide.
    • May contain harmful inactive ingredients.
    • May be nonsterile and contaminated with microbes, therefore not suitable for injection.

“Protecting the health of South Africans is top of mind for the regulator. The scourge of unregistered, substandard, and falsified medicines on the market is a serious health risk for the public. SAHPRA is listening to the public concerns, and we have an ongoing investigation into these falsified Ozempic and unregistered semaglutide-containing products”, indicates SAHPRA CEO, Dr Boitumelo Semete-Makokotlela.

Public are urged to report any suspected products that are falsely claiming to work like Ozempic. You can report through these whistle blower platforms, SAHPRA’s 24-hour hotline (0800 204 307) or via our web reporting facility: .

Categories : Cancer Metabolic DisordersTags :

GLP-1 Agonists may Reduce Colorectal Cancer Risk

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By HualinXMN – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=133759262

A groundbreaking study by researchers at Case Western Reserve University suggests that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), normally used to treat diabees, may also reduce the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC). The findings, published in the journal JAMA Oncology, support the need for clinical trials to determine whether these medications could prevent one of the deadliest types of cancers.

Eventually, the medications may also show promise in warding off other types of cancer associated with obesity and diabetes.

“Our results clearly demonstrate that GLP-1 RAs are significantly more effective than popular anti-diabetic drugs, such as Metformin or insulin, at preventing the development of CRC,” said Nathan Berger, the Hanna-Payne Professor of Experimental Medicine at the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and the study’s co-lead researcher.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, or GLP-1 RAs can lower blood-sugar levels, improve insulin sensitivity and help manage weight. They’ve also been shown to reduce the rates of major cardiovascular ailments. Importantly the protective effect of GLP-1 RAs are noted in patients with or without overweight/obesity.

“To our knowledge,” said co-lead researcher Rong Xu, a professor at the School of Medicine, “this is the first indication this popular weight-loss and anti-diabetic class of drugs reduces incidence of CRC, relative to other anti-diabetic agents.”

Berger and Xu are members of the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center.

In the US, the American Cancer Society estimates CRC is the third-leading type of cancer in both sexes, with 153 000 new cases per year. It is also the second-leading cause of cancer mortality with 52 550 deaths per year.

Since GLP-1 RAs have been shown to be effective anti-diabetic and weight-loss agents, the researchers hypothesized they might reduce incidence of CRC.

Using a national database of more than 100 million electronic health records, the researchers conducted a population-based study of more than 1.2 million patients.

These individuals had been treated with anti-diabetic agents from 2005-19; the CWRU team examined the effects of GLP-1 RAs on their incidence of CRC, as compared to those prescribed other anti-diabetic drugs.

Population-based research means matching as many people as possible with the same characteristics, such as sex, race, age, socio-economic determinants of health and other medical conditions, to accurately compare the drug’s effects.

Among 22 572 patients with diabetes treated with insulin, there were 167 cases of CRC. Another 22 572 matched patients treated with GLP-1 RAs saw 94 cases of CRC. Those treated with GLP-1 RAs had a 44% reduction in incidence of CRC.

In a similar comparison of 18 518 patients with diabetes treated with Metformin, compared to 18 518 patients with diabetes treated with GLP-1 RAs, had a 25% reduction in CRC.

“The research is critically important for reducing incidence of CRC in patients with diabetes, with or without overweight and obesity,” Berger said.

Source: Case Western Reserve University