Semaglutide, found in Ozempic and Wegovy, shows promise in reducing insulin needs for newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetes patients.
A preliminary study has indicated that semaglutide, a drug commonly used for Type 2 diabetes and weight loss, may enable individuals newly diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes to reduce or even eliminate their need for insulin. Semaglutide, the active ingredient in popular medications Ozempic and Wegovy, was found to allow significant reductions in insulin use over six months.
The findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, involved 10 Type 1 diabetes patients who began weekly semaglutide treatments. By three months, all participants had ceased mealtime insulin, and by six months, seven of the 10 had completely stopped insulin use. Lead author Dr. Paresh Dandona, from the University at Buffalo, expressed astonishment at these results, describing them as “almost like science fiction.”
Though promising, experts caution that further research is needed to fully understand the effects and potential limitations of semaglutide in Type 1 diabetes patients. Typically, Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disorder, requires lifelong insulin as the body loses its natural ability to produce it due to an immune attack on pancreatic beta cells.
The success of semaglutide in Type 1 patients highlights the drug’s versatility beyond its original uses in Type 2 diabetes and weight loss, though the mechanisms behind its benefits in Type 1 remain under investigation.
