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Scientists discover new link between Mounjaro and BREAST cancer
Scientists discover new link between Mounjaro and BREAST cancer

Daily Mail​

time7 days ago

  • Health
  • Daily Mail​

Scientists discover new link between Mounjaro and BREAST cancer

Mounjaro could help slash the risk of breast cancer tumours developing, exciting new research has suggested. The game-changing weight loss jabs have ushered in a new era in the war on obesity, but have also been linked to other health benefits, such as reducing the risk of heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease. Now, scientists have discovered that tirzepatide—the ingredient behind Mounjaro—may 'significantly' slow the growth of breast cancer tumours. American scientists, who carried out the trial, said the findings on mice show the drugs have a 'beneficial impact' on women with the disease. However, they cautioned further research was necessary to confirm their findings. Researchers also didn't speculate why the drug, which belong to class of medications called GLP-1 agonists, might lower a patient's chances of cancer. It comes as breakthrough research in May revealed that GLP-1s could help ward off up to 14 types of cancer including breast. Studies have also suggested obesity is a major risk factor in breast cancer returning and weight loss could improve outcomes. The game-changing weight loss jabs have ushered in a new era in the war on obesity, but have also been linked to other health benefits, such as slashing the risk of heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease Amanda Kucinskas, a research fellow in obesity and breast cancer risk at the University of Michigan and study author, said: 'While it is very preliminary data, our studies in mice suggest that these new anti-obesity drugs may be a way to reduce obesity-associated breast cancer risk or improve outcomes. 'While these are very preliminary results, they suggest that this new anti-obesity drug may also have a beneficial impact on breast cancer outcomes,' In the study, researchers tracked 16 nine-week-old mice with breast cancer tumours who were fed a high-fat diet to induce obesity. At 32 weeks old—roughly middle age for a mouse—the obese animals were divided into two groups. One group received tirzepatide injections every other day for 16 weeks, and the other a placebo. Scientists then measured the mice's weight and tumour growth twice a week. They found mice on the medication lost around a fifth of their body weight—roughly the average weight lost by patients taking Mounjaro long term. The fat loss occurred mainly in adipose tissue, the body's fat-storing cells. Mice treated with tirzepatide also had significantly smaller tumors, the scientists said. There was a 'clear link' between lower body weight and smaller tumor size, while total fat mass was also 'strongly linked' to how large the tumors became, they added. However, they cautioned that exactly how tirzepatide slowed tumour growth was not yet understood and further tests, including in humans, would first be necessary. The findings were presented in full this week at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society's annual meeting in San Francisco. It comes as research presented at the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual conference in May suggested GLP-1s could slash the risk of 14 obesity-related cancer—including breast—for people with diabetes. US scientists found those on GLP-1s had a 7 per cent lower risk of developing an obesity-related cancer than patients on DDP-4 inhibitors, another diabetes medication. When other health benefits were factored in, these patients were also 8 per cent less likely to die over the 10-year period. In December, groundbreaking research presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium also suggested the jabs could also help protect against breast cancer returning. One study of more than 1,000 patients by the University of Texas found obese patients who took the drugs for just over a year after finishing treatment on average had a 'significantly improved' chance of living longer. However, surprisingly, they also found patients taking hormone drugs such as tamoxifen—given to many women to stop breast cancer recurrence—gained weight, despite using the jabs. At the time, experts told MailOnline they were unsure why this happened. But they suggested it may be because hormone therapy typically causes patients to gain weight, meaning the jabs aren't able to work effectively. For these patients, 'we may need to go up to a higher dose', Professor Neil Iyengar, then an oncologist at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, New York, said.

Ozempic-Like Drugs Could Treat Chronic Migraines, Trial Finds
Ozempic-Like Drugs Could Treat Chronic Migraines, Trial Finds

Yahoo

time04-07-2025

  • Health
  • Yahoo

Ozempic-Like Drugs Could Treat Chronic Migraines, Trial Finds

Medications sold under brand names like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Saxenda have become famous for their weight-loss benefits, but that only scratches the surface of what these injections are potentially capable of. Originally designed to treat type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 agonists have also shown unforeseen benefits to heart, brain, liver, and kidney health – and now, it seems, the head, alleviating migraines in a new study. In a pilot trial of 31 patients with high BMI and frequent or chronic migraines, participants who received a daily injection of the GLP-1 agonist liraglutide experienced significantly fewer painful headaches. After 12 weeks, the number of days with a migraine each month decreased from a mean of 19.8 days to just 10.7 days – a reduction of nearly half. Related: Weight loss, age, sex, and the use of other medications at the same time did not significantly alter the results. "Our findings show that liraglutide may be effective in the treatment of unresponsive high-frequency or chronic migraine in patients with obesity, and that this effect is independent from weight loss," conclude the authors, who hail from the University of Naples in Italy. "This suggests… that the mechanisms driving liraglutide's effectiveness in migraine prevention may operate independently of the significant metabolic effects… " Further studies with larger cohorts and a control group are needed to verify that hypothesis. But GLP-1 agonists, like liraglutide and possibly even its longer-lasting relative semaglutide, may prove to be a promising route for future migraine treatments. Migraines impact an estimated 14 to 15 percent of the global population, and yet the few medications we have on hand do not work for everybody. "A substantial number of patients still face an unmet need, especially when preventive drugs prove ineffective," writes a team of scientists led by neurologist Simone Braca. Participants in the current pilot trial had migraines unresponsive to other treatments, meaning liraglutide worked where other drugs had not. GLP-1 agonists slow appetite and help regulate blood sugar by mimicking a natural hormone in the body, called glucagon-like peptide-1, which is released after eating. That's why these drugs are so effective when it comes to managing type 2 diabetes and weight gain. But GLP-1 receptors exist throughout the body, in many different tissues and organs. The fact that liraglutide and similar medications have widespread effects outside of the pancreas makes logical sense. Still, scientists are trying to figure out what those effects are, and whether they help or harm. In recent years, studies have shown liraglutide and other GLP-1 agonists can greatly reduce intracranial pressure in the brain – a speculative trigger for migraines. In animal models, these drugs have also suppressed migraines with great effectiveness. The current pilot trial is only small and it did not investigate the mechanisms behind liraglutide's migraine relief, nor did it directly measure intracranial pressure among participants. Nevertheless, Braca and her colleagues suspect that reduced pressure in the skull is playing a role in migraine reduction. In recent animal studies, GLP-1 agonists reduced fluid in the central nervous system, thereby lowering intracranial pressure. "These findings provide a foundation for larger-scale trials aimed at further investigating the role of GLP-1R agonists in migraine management," Braca and her team conclude. The study was published in Headache. Gut Bacteria Found to Soak Up Toxic Forever Chemicals Gene Therapy Can Restore Hearing in Adults, First-of-Its-Kind Trial Shows Cheese May Actually Fuel Nightmares, Surprising Study Confirms

'Golden age' of weight loss drugs could trigger surge in number of Britons who live to 100, experts say
'Golden age' of weight loss drugs could trigger surge in number of Britons who live to 100, experts say

Daily Mail​

time14-05-2025

  • Health
  • Daily Mail​

'Golden age' of weight loss drugs could trigger surge in number of Britons who live to 100, experts say

Weight-loss jabs could usher in a 'golden age' of medicine that could boost the number of Britons living a century, experts say. The injections, which include the likes of Mounjaro and Wegovy, were originally developed to combat obesity. But they have been found to have a range of other benefits including delaying diseases associated with ageing and slash the risk of heart attacks in half. Experts have discovered the drugs, technically called GLP-1 agonists, target the 'underlying biology' of chronic illness meaning they could be given to millions of more patients even if they are a healthy weight. Doctors have said that the jabs are the start of a new 'golden age' of medicine. One trial–presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Malaga involving 17,000 patients-found the medications halved deaths from strokes and heart attacks. Experts have now suggested that up to half of Britons could benefit from the jabs to 'live longer in good health.' Professor Jason Halford, from the European Association of Obesity, told The Times: 'It is clear that the earlier people start on weight loss drugs, the better. Currently the drugs are being rationed on the NHS, being given to just 50,000 people but now the Government is being urged to expand access. Professor Halford added: 'If the Government and the NHS are serious about prevention they need to reconsider their position on the speed of roll out of these drugs.' It was also revealed at the conference that another 150 similar drugs are now being developed by pharmaceutical firms. Professor John Deanfield, a cardiologist at University College London, said that this is 'extraordinary' and a 'scenario we have never seen in medicine before.' 'These drugs do remarkable things to improve many diseases,' he said. 'They have shown benefits on heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, cancer, mood and mental health. One of the latest breakthroughs is a pill that mimics the effect of a gastric bypass which has been touted as the latest weight loss miracle. Some experts say it may even be more effective than fat jabs in the long term. The capsules produce a temporary coating in the gut that prevents food from being absorbed, forcing it into the lower intestine and triggering hormones that make you feel full. Its manufacturers say it may have advantages over weight-loss injections such as Ozempic and Mounjaro, including having fewer side effects and being easier to take. It is also far safer and less invasive than actual gastric bypass surgery. Rahul Dhanda, chief executive of Syntis Bio, makers of the pill, said: 'The problem is [fat jabs] are not very tolerable and patients want to come off them. 'You want to have a long-term maintenance therapy, and an oral pill is the rational choice because it's simple, tolerable and safe. 'What we're seeing now is patients and clinics being more focused on having something safe and sustainable to keep on a manageable, sustainable weight-loss path. 'I anticipate the side effects to be minimal to none, and we haven't seen any yet in human tests. That is because it doesn't enter the bloodstream like injections do. 'It's a mechanical molecule, so it's like we're inserting a stent, as opposed to a drug that is acting with the target, and also off the target.' By binding to the mucous membrane lining of the duodenum - the top of the intestine near the stomach - the pills create a barrier that stops calories being absorbed. It forces food directly into the lower part of the digestive system, the pills set off a 'cascade' of hormones including GLP-1, the same chemical mimicked by semaglutide jab Wegovy. It also causes the body to stop producing ghrelin, which makes you feel hungry, and start producing leptin, which makes you feel satisfied. The person taking the pill feels full more quickly and stops eating. The coating created by the pill sheds naturally after about 24 hours, leaving no trace. The effect is similar to gastric bypass, in which surgeons make the stomach smaller and shorten the small intestine, changing how the body absorbs food and leaving people feeling fuller after eating less. In rats, the drug caused the animals to lose 1 per cent of their bodyweight per week while preserving 100 per cent of their lean muscle mass. Trials in humans have not studied weight loss but found the pills cause no harmful side effects. If they prove effective in further trials, the pills could help patients maintain a healthy weight after intensive weight-loss with jabs, or replace the injections entirely. Dr Louis Aronne of Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City told the conference that a 'golden age' of treatment had begun with these new drugs. The Times reported he was pushing for health providers, including the NHS, to 'roll them out at scale', adding: 'I think use of drugs like this will prevent the need for many other medications, procedures, and surgeries.

‘Golden age' of medicine: Weight-loss drugs hold key to longer life
‘Golden age' of medicine: Weight-loss drugs hold key to longer life

Times

time13-05-2025

  • Health
  • Times

‘Golden age' of medicine: Weight-loss drugs hold key to longer life

Weight-loss drugs can delay diseases associated with ageing and halve deaths from heart attacks, research shows as the jabs are hailed as ushering in a 'golden age' of medicine. The class of drugs, known as GLP-1 agonists, have been found to target the 'underlying biology' of chronic illnesses, meaning they could be given to millions of people to help them live longer, even if they are not obese. Ministers are examining ways to rapidly increase the availability of drugs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, amid a series of breakthroughs presented at the European Congress of Obesity in Malaga. One trial involving 17,000 overweight patients found the medication halved deaths from strokes and heart attacks, and helped to protect the heart 'immediately' — suggesting they would

Ozempic pill? Trial suggests new oral drug works as well as injectables for type 2 diabetes
Ozempic pill? Trial suggests new oral drug works as well as injectables for type 2 diabetes

Yahoo

time11-05-2025

  • Health
  • Yahoo

Ozempic pill? Trial suggests new oral drug works as well as injectables for type 2 diabetes

When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. An experimental pill may work just as well as injectable, Ozempic-style drugs at treating type 2 diabetes, early trial results suggest. The oral medication, called orforglipron, belongs to a class of drugs called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) agonists. This class also includes Ozempic, which is made by Novo Nordisk and approved as a blood-sugar control aid in type 2 diabetes, as well as a treatment for people with type 2 and either heart disease or kidney disease. It also includes Wegovy, which has the same active ingredient as Ozempic but is approved for chronic weight management. GLP-1 agonists are best known as weight-loss drugs, and likely drive weight loss in part by slowing digestion and curbing appetite by messing with hunger signals in the body. In diabetes, the drugs help lower blood sugar by boosting levels of insulin, the hormone responsible for shuttling sugar out of the blood. However, as of yet, GLP-1s are all injectable medications that require refrigeration, The New York Times reported. It's possible that introducing a daily pill that can achieve the same results could potentially increase the availability and use of the medications, Lilly, the drug's maker, suggests. Related: Ozempic-style drugs tied to more than 60 health benefits and risks in biggest study-of-its-kind "Injections cannot be the solution for billions of people around the world," Dr. Daniel Skovronsky, chief scientific officer of Lilly, told The New York Times. In a statement published Thursday (April 17), Lilly shared the topline results of a late-stage trial of orforglipron. The trial's results have not yet been published in a scientific journal but will be in the future, and the results will also be presented at the American Diabetes Association's 85th Scientific Sessions, the statement noted. The trial included 559 adults with type 2 diabetes whose blood sugar was not adequately controlled with diet and exercise alone. For just over nine months, the participants took either orforglipron or a placebo pill daily. Those taking orforglipron got one of three doses: 3 milligrams, 12 mg or 36 mg. After 40 weeks, the trial runners checked everyone's blood sugar levels using an A1C test, which can reveal average blood-sugar levels from the preceding three months. The test gives results as a percentage, with 6.5% or higher typically indicating diabetes and 5.7% to 6.4% signaling prediabetes. The participants in the trial started out with an average A1C of 8%. After 40 weeks, the groups who took orforglipron saw their A1C drop by 1.3% to 1.6%, on average, while the placebo fell only 0.1%. That effect is about the same as what was seen in separate trials of Ozempic and Mounjaro, another GLP-1, The New York Times reported. Around two-thirds of those who took the highest dose of the drug had their levels fall to less than or equal to 6.5%, the threshold for diabetes. The high-dose group also lost an average of 16 pounds (7.3 kilograms) each. The other dosing groups lost about 10 to 12 pounds (4.4 to 5.5. kg), while the placebo group lost about 3 pounds (1.3 kg). "Given that participants had not yet reached a weight plateau at the time the study ended, it appears that full weight reduction was not yet attained," the Lilly statement noted. RELATED STORIES —$3 million Breakthrough Prize awarded to developers of Ozempic-style drugs —Ozempic-like meds linked to higher risk of pancreatitis, 'stomach paralysis' than other weight-loss drugs —Hims & Hers Super Bowl controversy: What the ad left out about its 'alternative' weight-loss drugs The most common side effects were mild to moderate and were similar to those seen with other GLP-1s. For example, diarrhea, nausea, indigestion, constipation and vomiting were more common in the treatment groups than the placebo. Between 3% and 8% of the participants in each treatment group opted to stop taking the medication, compared to 1% of the placebo. Lilly said it would seek approval from the Food and Drug Administration later this year to market orforglipron for obesity and early in 2026 for diabetes, The New York Times reported. In addition to the diabetes trial described above, the company is also testing the pill in adults with obesity or who are overweight with at least one weight-related medical problem. They're also investigating its use as a treatment for high blood pressure and sleep apnea in people with obesity. The price of the pill has not yet been announced.

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