A new study presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), being held in Madrid from September 9-13, and published simultaneously in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), has revealed that liraglutide, an anti-obesity drug, is safe and effective in children aged 6-12 years.
The use of GLP-1 analog diabetes drugs-such as semaglutide, sold under the trade name Ozempic-is not linked to an increased risk of suicide, according to two studies published in JAMA Internal Medicine. The first, led by a U.S. team, analyzes data from more than 3,300 people who have participated in clinical trials. The second analyzes data from 124,517 users of these drugs in Sweden and Denmark, and compares them with an even larger group of people who used another type of diabetes medication.
In research using a WHO database of adverse drug reactions, the authors identified a signal of disproportionality of suicidal ideation with semaglutide, one of the drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, did not find this signal for liraglutide, another drug indicated for these treatments.
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has recommended not granting marketing authorization for Leqembi™ (lecanemab) for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The EMA's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) considers that its effect in delaying cognitive decline does not outweigh the risk of serious side effects associated with the drug, in particular swelling and possible bleeding in patients' brains. Leqembi™ was approved in 2023 in the United States.
A paper published today in the journal Science explores the potential of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)-based drugs such as semaglutide to treat diseases beyond diabetes and obesity. For example, recent studies suggest that they could improve conditions ranging from depression to neurological disorders to cardiovascular and kidney disease.
The use of the antidepressants escitalopram, paroxetine, and duloxetine is associated with greater weight gain than the use of sertraline, according to the results of an analysis comparing data from more than 183,000 adults treated with one of eight types of antidepressants. Among these, bupropion is associated with the least weight gain, concludes the study, which is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Ketamine extended-release tablets are effective, safe and well tolerated in patients with depression resistant to other treatments, according to a phase 2 clinical trial. Compared to intranasal or intravenous use of ketamine, these oral tablets are easier to administer and would provide less dissociative intensity, lower risk of abuse and cardiovascular adverse effects, the authors write in Nature Medicine.
Artemisinins, plant-based antimalarials, may serve as a treatment for polycystic ovary syndrome - which affects millions of women worldwide and can lead to infertility - according to a new study published in Science. The compounds suppressed ovarian androgen production in rodents, as well as in a small cohort of 19 human patients for 12 weeks, leading to more regular menstrual cycles without side effects.
The Lancet Psychiatry publishes the first meta-analysis of the incidence of antidepressant treatment discontinuation symptoms that includes data from more than 20,000 patients collected from 79 randomised controlled trials and observational studies. The study sought to distinguish between symptoms directly caused by medication discontinuation and other ‘non-specific’ symptoms that may be associated with patient or professional expectations (the nocebo effect). The study concludes that one in six to seven patients will experience one or more symptoms directly caused by stopping medication, and one in 35 are likely to experience severe symptoms.
According to a study published today by The BMJ, people with dementia who are treated with antipsychotics are at increased risk of serious adverse events such as stroke, blood clots, myocardial infarction, heart failure, fractures, pneumonia, and acute kidney injury, compared with those who do not take them, . These findings extend the harms previously associated with the use of these drugs on these patients.