Scientists discover why Ozempic and Wegovy weight loss eventually plateaus
Key takeaways
- The findings, based on experiments in mice, shed light on why these medications work differently from person to person and why their effects often slow down over time.
- GLP-1 receptor agonists, including drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, are already known to help reduce appetite and promote weight loss.
- "We know much less about the nuts and bolts of what goes on within the neurons that these medications target.
Why this matters: new research or scientific developments with potential real-world impact.
Researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have uncovered new details about how GLP-1 weight loss drugs such as semaglutide affect brain cells, revealing internal signaling processes that scientists have only begun to understand. The findings, based on experiments in mice, shed light on why these medications work differently from person to person and why their effects often slow down over time.
GLP-1 receptor agonists, including drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, are already known to help reduce appetite and promote weight loss. Scientists have also identified the brain regions involved in those effects. Until now, however, much less was known about what happens inside the neurons targeted by these drugs.
"We know much less about the nuts and bolts of what goes on within the neurons that these medications target. By digging into these mechanisms, we're beginning to answer some of these questions," said co-corresponding author Andrew Lutas, Ph.D., an investigator at NIH's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).