A recent small mid-stage trial has shown promising results for the use of a diabetes drug called lixisenatide in slowing the progression of Parkinson’s disease. The trial, conducted by researchers from France and published in The New England Journal of Medicine, found that lixisenatide helped to slow the progression of motor disability in patients with early-stage Parkinson’s disease after 12 months of treatment.
Motor disability refers to symptoms such as tremors, stiffness, and slowness of movement, which can greatly impact a patient’s ability to walk, talk, and swallow. The fact that lixisenatide was able to slow the progression of these symptoms is an encouraging development in the fight against Parkinson’s disease, which affects as many as half a million Americans.
Lixisenatide is part of a class of drugs known as GLP-1s, which have gained popularity in recent years for their effectiveness in treating diabetes and obesity. Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy are two well-known GLP-1 drugs. The positive results seen with lixisenatide in this trial highlight the potential health benefits of GLP-1s beyond their traditional use.
However, further research is needed to fully understand the efficacy and safety of lixisenatide in patients with Parkinson’s disease. Larger and longer studies are necessary to determine how long the benefits of the drug may last and whether it can be used in different stages of the condition.
It is worth noting that Sanofi, the maker of lixisenatide, pulled the drug from the market at the beginning of 2023. The company has stated that this decision was unrelated to the safety and efficacy of the treatment. Sanofi provided the drug for the trial but was not involved in the research process.
During the trial, 156 people with early-stage Parkinson’s disease were followed for a year. All participants continued to take their usual Parkinson’s medication, but one group received an additional daily injection of lixisenatide while the other received a placebo. The results showed that patients who received lixisenatide experienced essentially no progression of motor symptoms, while those in the placebo group showed worsening motor problems.
Although the difference between the two groups was modest, the positive effects of lixisenatide were still present two months after the trial ended and patients stopped taking the drug. However, it is important to note that the use of lixisenatide was associated with an increased risk of gastrointestinal side effects, such as nausea and vomiting, which are common across all GLP-1 drugs.
While this trial provides promising early evidence for the potential use of lixisenatide in Parkinson’s disease, more research is needed to confirm these findings and explore the potential benefits of other GLP-1 drugs. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, two major pharmaceutical companies, are currently studying their own GLP-1 drugs in patients with various conditions but have not yet examined their efficacy in managing Parkinson’s disease.
In summary, the results of this small trial offer hope for patients with Parkinson’s disease. Lixisenatide, a diabetes drug from Sanofi, has shown promise in slowing the progression of motor symptoms in early-stage patients. However, further research is needed to fully understand the long-term effects and safety of the drug. This trial adds to the growing body of evidence supporting the potential health benefits of GLP-1 drugs beyond diabetes and obesity treatment.
