Semaglutide is the active ingredient in both Ozempic -- approved as a diabetes treatment in 2017 -- and Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, which gained authorization as an obesity medicine in 2021
The active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease for patients with type-2 diabetes, a study shows. AFP

The active ingredient in popular type-2 diabetes drugs Wegovy and Ozempic may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study.

The study by researchers at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Cleveland found that type-2 diabetes patients taking semaglutide "compared to seven other anti-diabetic drugs."

The results of the study were consistent across subgroups, including obesity, status, gender and age.

Semaglutide, among a class of drugs that mimic the body's natural GLP-1 hormone, reduces hunger and helps regulate blood sugar in type-2 diabetes patients.

The drug, approved by the Food and Drug Administration for type-2 diabetes in 2017 and weight loss in 2021, was associated with 40% to 70% reduced risks of a first-time Alzheimer's diagnosis patients compared to other anti-diabetic medications, the study said.

"This new study provides real-world evidence for its impact on Alzheimer's disease, even though preclinical research has suggested that semaglutide may protect against neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation," said Xu, who also directs the medical school's Center for AI in Drug Discovery, said.

Alzheimer's is the seventh-leading cause of death in the United States, with about 120,000 Americans dying from the disease each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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