Could drugs like Ozempic help people with Parkinson’s disease?

Shared from apdaparkinson.org.

GLP-1 agonists are molecules that are approved for use to treat type 2 diabetes (you may be familiar with brand names like Ozempic and Weygovy). They act by mimicking human gut hormones or incretins to stimulate the release of insulin. Receptors for GLP-1 are also found in the brain and there has been a growing body of research showing that these molecules can have neuroprotective effects. One paper suggested that these neuroprotective effects may occur by blocking the activation of the immune cells of the brain which can be responsible for a damaging inflammatory response. You can read more about the connection between inflammation and PD here.