GLP-1 medications are currently approved for Type 2 diabetes, chronic weight management and/or cardiovascular disease.
Drug manufacturers and researchers are also testing whether these drugs could treat anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, arthritis, kidney disease, cancer, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, alcohol and drug addiction, polycystic ovary syndrome, infertility and sleep apnea.
A few late-stage trials have found promising results for some of these conditions.
In April, Eli Lilly announced plans to request FDA approval for Zepbound, a weight loss drug, as a treatment for sleep apnea. In June, Novo Nordisk said the FDA is reviewing its application for Ozempic, a Type 2 diabetes medication, to be indicated for kidney disease.
“We’re in a phase where GLP-1-based drugs are being considered as potential cures for every condition under the sun,” Randy Seeley, PhD, a professor at the University of Michigan who works with obesity drugmakers, told Nature.
One of the driving factors for all this research is how the naturally-produced GLP-1 hormone acts in the body.
After meals, cells in the intestine’s lining produce GLP-1, which stimulates the pancreas to release insulin — a tie to diabetes. The insulin then regulates blood sugar, suppresses appetite and slows digestion, Nature reported. Weight loss helps patients with heart disease, sleep apnea and polycystic ovary syndrome.
In the hindbrain, neurons produce GLP-1 in select instances, such as after a large meal. There are multiple receptors for the hormone across the brain. These include ones involved in appetite control, mood regulation, reward, and movement, which can explain how the drugs might treat addiction.
The hindbrain also responds to infections by producing the hormone. After injuries and illnesses, inflammation occurs. GLP-1s seem to reduce inflammation. This could connect to their effects on kidney disease, heart disease, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, and Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.
The picture is not yet complete on why these GLP-1 medications have the potential to treat so many conditions, though, since the drugs can activate regions deep in the brain that they cannot penetrate.
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