Retatrutide

MONDAY, Sept. 16, 2024 -- Fatty liver disease linked to diabetes and obesity can easily progress to liver cirrhosis, but new research suggests that GLP-1 medicines like Ozempic can help stop that. In a new decades-long study, veterans with diabetes and what's known as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) were 14% less likely to progress to cirrhosis if they'd taken a GLP-1, compared to other diabetes meds. One GLP-1 med, semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy), seemed especially potent in this regard, according to a team led by Dr. Fasiha Kanwal , a professor of gastroenterology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Overall, the use of GLP-1 meds "was associated with a lower risk of progression to cirrhosis and death," Kanwal's team reported Sept. 16 in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine . They noted that the medicine must be taken early in the course of MASLD: GLP-1s did not help people whose MASLD had already progressed to liver cirrhosis. A healthy liver has a fat content of just 5% or less by weight, but in MASLD fat can rise to unhealthy levels that put people at risk for cirrhosis , liver cancer or even the need for a liver transplant. Obesity and diabetes are prime risk factors driving fatty liver disease. In the new study, the Houston team looked at data from over 32,000 people with diabetes and MASLD who were all cared for at VA hospitals. Participants averaged about 67 years of age. Half had received a GLP-1 drug such as semaglutide (Ozempic), liraglutide ( Saxenda ) or dulaglutide ( Trulicity ) as diabetes treatment, while the other half were in similar health but received another class of diabetes meds, called DPP-4s, instead. Outcomes were tracked from 2006 through to the end of 2022. According to the researchers, GLP-1 use cut a patients' overall odds of progressing to cirrhosis by 14% compared with people taking a DPP-4. The odds of dying during the study period also fell by 11% among GLP-1 users. These healthy effects typically became apparent within 18 to 24 months of using a GLP-1. "The protective association was not seen in patients with existing cirrhosis, underscoring the importance of treatment earlier in the [MASLD] disease course," Kanwal's group said. How are GLP-1s working their magic on the liver? According to the researchers, these drugs "reduce body weight, glycemia [blood sugar issues] and inflammation -- actions that could reduce the risk of MASLD progression." In fact, prior trials have found that GLP-1 meds can even reverse fatty liver disease altogether, Kanwal's team added. At its worst, fatty liver disease and cirrhosis can lead to liver cancer. However, the researchers say the numbers of liver cancer cases in the study was not large enough to determine whether GLP-1s could lower liver cancer risks as well. Newer GLP-1 medications in the pipeline might offer even bigger benefits against MASLD. In late 2023, Eli Lilly reported that its experimental GLP-1 drug, retatrutide, reduced fat in the livers of obese people who took it. And in June, a trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that an expermental GLP-1 drug called survodutide also improved liver heath in (83%) of patients with fatty liver disease. That study was funded by the drug's developer, Boehringer Ingelheim. Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.

Healthcare business global roundup Eli Lilly's experimental cardiovascular drug ‘promising’; Aspen Pharmacare to manufacture mpox vaccines; Novo Nordisk says Ozempic shortage ‘worsening’ Eli Lilly's experimental cardiovascular drug ‘promising’ In a significant development for obesity treatment , Eli Lilly 's experimental GLP-1 drug, retatrutide, has demonstrated promising results beyond weight loss. At the European Society of Cardiology meeting, researchers reported that the drug significantly reduced blood lipid levels and cardiovascular risks in a mid-stage trial. After 48 weeks, patients experienced reductions in triglycerides by up to 40.6% and in apoC-III, a protein linked to glucose metabolism and inflammation, by 38%. These findings complement earlier data showing substantial weight loss and improvements in liver fat. Retatrutide's unique mechanism, mimicking three hormones instead of one or two, positions it as a potential advancement over current popular weight-loss medications. Question over tube tying as birth control method In contraceptive news, a study published in NEJM Evidence challenges the reliability of tubal ligation as a permanent birth control method. The research, involving 4,184 women who underwent tubal sterilisation between 2002 and 2015, found that 3% to 5% of participants reported unplanned pregnancies post-procedure. Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwarz of UCSF and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital emphasised that contraceptive arm implants or intrauterine devices may offer superior pregnancy prevention compared to tubal ligation. Aspen Pharmacare to manufacture mpox vaccines African pharmaceutical company Aspen Pharmacare is exploring partnerships to manufacture mpox vaccines at its facilities, according to CEO Stephen Saad. This initiative comes as the African continent faces pressure to address the mpox outbreak , with 13 countries reporting over 22,800 mpox cases and 622 deaths this year. Aspen's involvement is contingent upon volume commitments and financial support for technology transfer, reflecting lessons learned from its experience with COVID-19 vaccine production. Pneumococcal vaccine study sees Vaxcyte's shares soar Vaxcyte's shares rose by 48% to a record high after the company said its experimental pneumococcal vaccine showed promising results in an early-stage study. The drug has a safety profile similar to rival Pfizer's shot. Pneumococcal disease is a serious bacterial infection caused by bacteria called streptococcus pneumoniae. It spreads through direct contact with respiratory secretions such as saliva and mucus. Vaxcyte's stock rose to $119.27 – its highest level since its Nasdaq debut in 2020. It closed up 36.4%. As a result the vaccine developer added more than $4 billion to its market capitalisation. Novo Nordisk says Ozempic shortage ‘worsening’ Novo Nordisk has reported an worsening of the Ozempic shortage, and says intermittent supply issues are likely to run into the fourth quarter of 2024 across all strengths of the diabetes medication. The company attributes this to increased demand and manufacturing capacity constraints. Healthcare professionals are advised to limit treatment initiation for new patients on both Ozempic and Victoza until the supply situation improves, as per recommendations published by the European Medicines Agency.