A box of Ozempic manufactured by Novo Nordisk is seen at a pharmacy in London, Britain, March 8, 2024.
Hollie Adams | Reuters
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Hello! Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic may have more to offer than just regulating blood sugar and promoting weight loss.
That’s according to a new analysis from the University of Oxford published last week, which found that Ozempic may reduce the risk of dementia and a range of other mental health problems compared with other existing treatments for diabetic patients. In addition, the researchers found that Ozempic reduced nicotine dependence in these patients.
The findings add to a growing list of potential health benefits for Ozempic and other popular GLP-1 treatments, such as Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy weight-loss injection and drugs from rival Eli Lilly.
Large clinical trials have already shown that semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, can reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular complications and kidney disease. Other studies are looking at GLP-1 in patients with sleep apnea and fatty liver disease, among other conditions, and whether these drugs can curb addictive behaviors such as alcohol consumption and even gambling.
Now let’s dive into the data from the new analysis, published Thursday in The Lancet’s journal eClinicalMedicine.
The study drew on medical records from more than 100,000 U.S. patients with diabetes, including more than 20,000 who were prescribed semaglutide between December 2017 and May 2021.
The researchers compared semaglutide to three other diabetes treatments: Merck’s Januvia, or sitagliptin; Pfizer’s Glucotrol, or glipizide; and Eli Lilly and Boehringer Ingelheim’s Jardiance, or empagliflozin. They compared the risks of 22 neurological and psychiatric effects within a year of treatment with the different diabetes drugs.
Overall, Ozempic was associated with a lower risk of cognitive problems and nicotine dependence, the researchers said.
After one year, patients taking Ozempic had a 48% lower risk of dementia than patients taking Januvia. The risk in patients taking Ozempic was also 37% lower than in patients taking Glucotrol and 9% lower than in patients taking Jardiance.
It should be noted that previous research has determined that diabetic patients are at higher risk of developing dementia.
Patients taking Ozempic also saw an 18% reduction in nicotine dependence compared to those taking Januvia. Nicotine dependence was also 28% lower in patients taking Ozempic compared to those taking Glucotrol and 23% lower compared to those taking Jardiance.
“Our results suggest that the use of semaglutide may extend beyond diabetes management, potentially offering unexpected benefits in the treatment and prevention of cognitive decline and drug addiction,” Dr. Riccardo De Giorgi, clinical lecturer at the University of Oxford and lead author of the study, said in a statement.
But the authors stress that the analysis is observational. The results need to be replicated in a controlled trial that randomly assigns patients to take Ozempic and the other drugs, according to Dr. Max Taquet, another clinical professor at Oxford and the study’s lead author.
We will continue to monitor future research in this area, so stay tuned for our coverage.
Please feel free to send tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to Annika at annikakim.constantino@nbcuni.com.
UnitedHealth Group Breaks Earnings Record, Expects Greater Impact From Change Healthcare Cyberattack
Omar Marques | Lightrocket | Getty Images
UnitedHealth Group’s cyberattack woes aren’t over yet.
The healthcare giant reported second-quarter results Tuesday that beat analysts’ estimates for both revenue and net income, but it raised its forecast for the expected per-share impact of the Change Healthcare cyberattack.
UnitedHealth reported revenue of $98.86 billion for the quarter, narrowly beating the $98.84 billion analysts had expected, according to LSEG. The company’s adjusted earnings per share for the period were $6.80, compared with Wall Street’s expectations of $6.66 per share.
UnitedHealth reaffirmed its full-year adjusted earnings forecast of $27.50 to $28.00. However, it disclosed estimated business disruption impacts of 60 cents to 70 cents per share, up from 30 cents to 40 cents per share provided last quarter. UnitedHealth said business disruption impacts include lost revenue and “the cost of maintaining full availability” of affected Change Healthcare services.
Shares of UnitedHealth were up about 3% Tuesday morning.
Change Healthcare, a subsidiary of UnitedHealth, offers payment and revenue cycle management tools. It processes more than 15 billion billing transactions annually, and 1 in 3 patient records pass through its systems, according to its website.
In February, UnitedHealth discovered that a cybercriminal had hacked into part of Change Healthcare’s computer network. The company isolated and disconnected the affected systems “immediately upon detection” of the threat, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
The disruption has had a severe impact on the U.S. healthcare system, with many doctors temporarily left without a way to fill prescriptions or get paid for their services. Some providers have had to dip into their personal savings for thousands of dollars to stay afloat.
In May, UnitedHealth CEO Andrew Witty revealed that the company had paid a $22 million ransom to hackers to prevent them from publishing patients’ personal health data. He estimated that the breach could affect up to a third of Americans.
UnitedHealth said Tuesday it has restored “the majority” of Change Healthcare’s services, according to its earnings release. The company also said it has provided more than $9 billion in advances to providers in need, according to the release.
Read the full UnitedHealth results report here.
Please feel free to send tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to Ashley at ashley.capoot@nbcuni.com.