JAMA psychiatry

Semaglutide treatment in people with schizophrenia on antipsychotics who have prediabetes and obesity

Updated

Abstract

Essence

In adults with schizophrenia taking second-generation antipsychotics, semaglutide lowered HbA1c and weight and improved physical quality of life over 30 weeks.

Evidence

This double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial in 154 Danish adults with schizophrenia, prediabetes, and overweight or obesity found semaglutide lowered HbA1c by 0.46% and weight by 9.21 kg, with more patients reaching HbA1c below 5.7%.

Caveat

The trial lasted only 30 weeks, caused more gastrointestinal symptoms, and did not significantly improve mental quality of life or PANSS-6 scores.

Simplified

Full Text

Full text is available at the source.

Funding

Competing interests

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Ganeshalingam reported 1-year Phd salary from the Steno Diabetes Center Odense; provision of investigational medicinal product from Novo Nordisk A/S; funding for traveling to the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) conference 2024 with Novo Nordisk; and grants from Aase and Ejnar Danielsens fond 2024. Dr Uhrenholt reported provision of investigational medicinal product from Novo Nordisk A/S; grant funding for the study administered by hospitals from the Novo Nordisk Foundation; 1-year salary from the Steno Diabetes Center Sjaelland 2021; and salary for nurses from Slagelse Research Grants 2020, 2022, and 2024 (a fund managed by Næstved, Slagelse, and Ringsted Hospitals and The Psychiatry Department of Region Zealand) and from the Region Zealand Health Research Foundation 2022 during the conduct of the study. Dr Arnfred reported grants from the Novo Nordisk Foundation, the Region Zealand Health Research Foundation, Slagelse Research Grants, and the Steno Diabetes Center Sjaelland during the conduct of the study and grants from the Danish Independent Research Foundation, the Lundbeck Foundation, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, Region Zealand Health Research Foundation, and Slagelse Research Grants outside the submitted work. Dr Gæde reported lecture fees payable to his institution from AstraZeneca, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, and Novo Nordisk and participating in advisory boards for AstraZeneca, Bayer, and Novo Nordisk, with fees made to his institution, outside the submitted work. Dr Düring reported personal fees from Camurus for a lecture not product related but teaching clinicians of integrated dual diagnosis treatment outside the submitted work. Dr Bilenberg reported grants from the Novo Nordisk Foundation during the conduct of the study; grants to another study (an autism parent intervention) from the Lundbeck Foundation, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, and the Tryg Foundation; and personal fees from Novo Nordisk and Takeda for lecturing on seminars outside the submitted work. Dr Frystyk reported grants (running expenses and salary to PhD students, study nurses, and helpers) from the Novo Nordisk Foundation; grants (PhD salary) from the Steno Diabetes Center Odense; provision of active drug and placebo by Novo Nordisk A/S during the conduct of the study; receiving payment from Novo Nordisk A/S for the measurement of insulin-like growth factor 1 in children; speaker fees at 2025 meetings from Eli Lilly A/S and Novo Nordisk outside the submitted work; and having biomarker findings that may be submitted for a patent. No other disclosures were reported.
PubMed

What Lands in Your Inbox Each Week:

  • 📚7 fresh studies
  • 📝plain-language summaries
  • direct links to original studies
  • 🏅top journal indicators
  • 📅weekly delivery
  • 🧘‍♂️always free