The use of obesity medications — approved drugs for treating diabetes and promoting weight loss — is associated with a reduced chance of developing multiple sclerosis (MS), according to real-world data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a study found.
Research has shown that obesity in early childhood or adolescence increases the risk of MS.
Many obesity medications believed to lower blood sugar levels Because both conditions share inflammatory components, repurposing medications already approved for obesity may be a potential treatment option for MS, research has suggested.
Repurposing drugs can reduce the time and cost of development, especially when a drug’s pharmacological properties and safety profile have already been established.
Other weight loss drugs included phentermine (sold as Lomaira, among others), bupropion (Aplenzin, among others), topiramate (Topamax, among others), zonisamide (Zonegran, among others), amphetamine (Azendys, among others), and naltrexone (brand name Relistor, among others).
Analyses revealed that several anti-diabetic weight loss medications were associated with a reduced risk of MS.
Overall, this study hints at the possibility of considering anti-diabetic drugs with weight loss-inducing effects … for potential repurposing opportunities in MS.
Among the other obesity medications, no associations were found except for naltrexone, which lowered the likelihood of MS risk by 44.4%.
Specifically, drugs that inhibit blood glucose or blood sugar levels by activating the GLP-1 receptor have all demonstrated potential protective effects against multiple sclerosis.
The researchers stated, “These results suggest a potential for repurposing these medications for MS.”.
The journal Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders published their study, “Exploring the association between weight loss-inducing medications and multiple sclerosis: insights from the FDA adverse event reporting system database.”.
One well-known cause of the body’s ongoing inflammation is obesity, which can pave the way for the inflammatory disease known as multiple sclerosis (MS), which affects the brain and spinal cord.
Studies have indicated that obesity during early childhood or adolescence raises the risk of multiple sclerosis (MSDot). It also deteriorates the prognosis for patients who are recently diagnosed and is associated with less positive responses to treatments that modify the disease.
Numerous drugs for obesity are thought to lower blood sugar levels.
Repurposing drugs that are already approved for obesity may be a viable treatment option for MS, according to research, since both conditions share inflammatory components. Drug repurposing can speed up and lower the cost of development, particularly in cases where pharmacological characteristics and safety have already been determined.
The researchers noted that “drug repurposing—defined as investigating new indications for pharmaceuticals that have already received approval—is garnering attention as a quick and affordable method of creating new treatments.”.
The three researchers—from Missouri, Nebraska, and Texas—worked together with this objective in mind to investigate a possible connection between MS risk and medications that induce weight loss. Adverse Event Reporting System, or FAERS, is the name of the FDA’s side effects database where the team obtained its data.
A database on adverse drug reactions and safety signals, FAERS, is accessible to the general public. An FAERS analysis can determine whether a particular medication may lower the risk of MS by comparing the number of MS-related adverse events with that drug versus all other drugs in the database.
Drugs for diabetes and weight loss included dulaglutide (marketed as Trulicity), liraglutide (marketed as Victorza and Saxenda), empagliflozin (marketed as Jardiance), metformin (marketed as Glumetza), and semaglutide (marketed as Ozempic and Rybelsus for diabetes and Wegovy for weight loss).
Azendys, amphetamine, zonisamide (Zonegran), topiramate (Topamax), naltrexone (brand name Relistor), phentermine (sold as Lomaira), bupropion (Aplenzin), and amphetamine were among the other medications used for weight loss.
Numerous anti-diabetic weight loss drugs were linked to a lower risk of MS, according to analyses. Specifically, semaglutide significantly decreased the chance of developing MS by 76 percent, dulaglutide by 83 percent, liraglutide by 83 percent, empagliflozin by 76 percent, and metformin by 61 percent.
Overall, this study suggests that anti-diabetic medications that cause weight loss may be given some thought for possible repurposing in MS.
Semaglutide, dulaglutide, and liraglutide, according to the researchers, all function by activating GLP-1, which is thought to improve blood glucose control and facilitate weight loss in people with diabetes.
Activators of this receptor, however, are also drawing attention because of their capacity to shield nerve cells from harm, encourage the growth of nerve cells, and improve the integrity of the blood-brain barrier—a tight, semi-permeable membrane that regulates which substances from the bloodstream are allowed into the brain.
According to the researchers, “Studies of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE),” a common MS mouse model, have demonstrated the potential efficacy of GLP-1 receptor agonists, specifically dulaglutide and liraglutide, toward MS. Dulaglutide was found to reduce the severity of MS-like symptoms, while liraglutide delayed their onset.
Except for naltrexone, which reduced the chance of MS risk by 44 points4 percent, no correlations were discovered between the other obesity medications.
Overall, the study suggests that anti-diabetic medications that cause weight loss—particularly GLP-1 receptor agonists—might be worth repurposing in MS, according to the authors.
