Novo nordisk Alzheimer’s Trial Fails: Semaglutide Shows No Cognitive Benefit

Novo Nordisk, nan Danish drugmaker down weight‑loss and glucosuria giants for illustration Ozempic and Rybelsus, announced connected November 24 that its much‑anticipated Alzheimer’s tests grounded to slow cognitive diminution – a awesome rustle to hopes that its GLP‑1 narcotics could break into neurodegenerative illness treatment.

Two ample trials, 1 disappointing outcome

The EVOKE and EVOKE+ Phase III trials, which enrolled a full of 3,808 adults aged 55 to 85 pinch early-stage symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease, were designed to trial whether regular oral semaglutide could slow illness progression compared pinch placebo.

According to Novo Nordisk, nan tests did not show a statistically important simplification successful Alzheimer’s progression, arsenic measured by nan Clinical Dementia Rating – Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) people complete 2 years. While curen reportedly produced immoderate improvements successful Alzheimer’s-related biomarkers, those did not construe into a measurable objective benefit.

As a result, nan institution said it will discontinue nan planned one-year hold play for some studies. Full information are expected to beryllium presented astatine nan Clinical Trials successful Alzheimer’s Disease (CTAD) convention successful December 2025, pinch a much broad disclosure owed astatine nan Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Diseases (AD/PD) convention successful March 2026.

“Based connected nan important unmet request … we felt we had a work to research semaglutide’s potential, contempt a debased likelihood of success,” said Martin Holst Lange, Chief Scientific Officer astatine Novo Nordisk. “We are proud to person conducted 2 well-controlled shape 3 tests … that meet nan highest standards of investigation and rigorous methodology.”

Market guidance & manufacture implications

The antagonistic result triggered a crisp guidance successful markets. Novo Nordisk shares dropped much than 12% aft nan announcement, reflecting wide investor disappointment for what had been seen arsenic a imaginable blockbuster description of its business beyond glucosuria and obesity.

Analysts had agelong regarded nan Alzheimer’s tests arsenic precocious risk. As 1 portfolio head put it: “The truth that nan study was discontinued aft 2 years, contempt a planned third‑year extension, suggests that semaglutide offers virtually nary use successful slowing Alzheimer’s progression.”

The nonaccomplishment dims hopes that GLP-1 narcotics for illustration semaglutide could connection a caller curen way for Alzheimer’s, a information that presently affects tens of millions worldwide and lacks wide effective therapies.

What now for Novo – and for Alzheimer’s research?

Novo Nordisk’s nationalist connection underscored that while nan Alzheimer’s denotation did not succeed, semaglutide remains effective and approved for type-2 glucosuria and obesity – uses supported by decades of information and much than 37 million patient‑years of exposure.

For nan Alzheimer’s section much broadly, nan results service arsenic a reminder of nan situation successful translating metabolic aliases biomarker changes into meaningful objective outcomes. Researchers and companies will apt proceed to research different pathways – perchance operation therapies – but nan “GLP-1 arsenic Alzheimer’s cure” communicative has taken a superior hit.

As Novo prepares to coming nan afloat information successful coming months, attraction will displacement to what deeper study mightiness uncover – and whether immoderate subgroups showed benefit. For now, though, nan semaglutide stake connected Alzheimer’s has travel up empty.