A recent small-scale study suggests that the popular weight loss drug semaglutide, also known as Ozempic or Wegovy, may hold promise for individuals newly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes by potentially reducing or even eliminating their need for insulin injections. The study, published as a research letter in the New England Journal of Medicine, analyzed data from 10 Type 1 diabetes patients who had started taking semaglutide weekly. Remarkably, after three months of treatment, all participants were able to discontinue insulin with meals, and within six months, seven out of the ten were no longer reliant on insulin, as per the report.
Semaglutide, primarily approved for Type 2 diabetes and weight loss, operates by mimicking the hormone GLP-1, which encourages insulin production and lowers blood sugar levels. These findings have left experts both excited and intrigued, emphasizing the necessity for more extensive research to validate the results.
Dr. Paresh Dandona, the lead author of the study and a professor of medicine at the University at Buffalo’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences in New York, expressed his astonishment at the results, stating that eliminating insulin use within three months seemed almost like science fiction. Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes differ in their causes and treatment approaches, with Type 1 being an autoimmune disease characterized by the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas.
Dandona’s study focused on newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetes patients because their insulin reserves are less depleted compared to long-term sufferers. Researchers hope that semaglutide may not only reduce insulin dependency but also protect beta cells. However, the need for a more extensive and longer-term study is paramount, and Dandona has already initiated collaboration with diabetes investigators across the country for this purpose.
Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of semaglutide, has not conducted research on Type 1 diabetes and semaglutide, but they expressed support for further research in this area. Experts welcomed the study’s findings but emphasized the importance of more extensive research before making any treatment recommendations. Dr. Michael Natter, an endocrinologist at NYU Langone Health, expressed cautious optimism, noting that he had observed similar outcomes in his own practice.
Dr. Vanita Aroda, director of diabetes clinical research at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, praised the study’s focus on newly diagnosed patients and called for larger studies to investigate the potential benefits of such therapies for Type 1 diabetes patients.
Dr. Utpal Pajvani, a diabetes expert at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, found the study intriguing but pointed out its retrospective nature and the possibility that some participants may have had Type 2 diabetes rather than Type 1. Nonetheless, he expressed hope and interest in external validation of these results.