By Alex Janin

For decades, scientists have been on the hunt for an antiaging drug. Now, some say we may have already found it.

A fast-growing body of research signals potential health benefits of GLP-1s, the class of diabetes and weight-loss drugs known by names like Ozempic, beyond what they were initially approved to treat. That includes age-related conditions like Alzheimer's, osteoarthritis, certain cancers and even mortality.

Doctors and researchers emphasize the need for larger, more rigorous long-term studies to confirm these preventive effects are causal, not just correlational.

Still, since Ozempic was approved in 2017, thousands of studies have been published examining the effects of GLP-1s. Last year, Wegovy won a new Food and Drug Administration approval to reduce the risk of heart attacks and other cardiovascular events, and Ozempic, was recently approved to help kidney-disease patients.

This accumulating body of research has led longevity clinics to market and prescribe GLP-1s as so-called gerotherapeutics -- drugs that can target certain biological hallmarks of aging.

Dr. Nir Barzilai, a physician-scientist who is president of the Academy for Health and Lifespan Research, reviewed a dozen FDA-approved drugs and drug classes with potential benefits to extend lifespan and so-called healthspan, or how long people live in good health. GLP-1s ranked in the top third.

Excess weight can trigger chronic low-grade inflammation, which has been linked to increased risk for a host of conditions from heart disease to dementia. "Obesity drives aging," says Barzilai.

The drugs work in part by suppressing appetite and making users feel fuller faster. Their weight-loss effect likely plays a big role in their potential preventive health benefits, health experts say -- but it is probably not the whole story.

An analysis of a large trial involving adults with heart disease revealed that semaglutide, the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy, provided cardiovascular benefits regardless of participants' initial weight or the amount of weight they lost.

This could suggest anti-inflammatory benefits, or show that people on these medications often eat healthier foods, not just less food, says John Deanfield, a professor of cardiology at University College London, who led the analysis.

"Part of the longevity issue is not just living longer, it's making sure that you avoid some of these diseases of aging as well," he says, adding that drugs like this will need to be tested for their ability to prolong life expectancy.

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University found that among older patients with Type 2 diabetes, semaglutide was associated with a 40%-to-70% lower risk of an Alzheimer's diagnosis over three years than other diabetes medications.

The medication's power is that it works through various mechanisms, says Rong Xu, senior author and director of the university's Center for Artificial Intelligence in Drug Discovery: "It's like one stone, multiple birds."

Despite the promising data, doctors and researchers emphasize that many studies are in animals or are observational clinical trials in people with diabetes or other health conditions. More robust studies are needed in healthy people.

One drawback is that the medications can lead people to lose lean-muscle mass alongside fat, which is particularly detrimental for older adults already experiencing muscle loss, and for biohackers aiming for optimal health.

Alexander Boldizar, a 53-year-old writer based in Vancouver, British Columbia, tried taking a version of semaglutide, hoping it would help lower one of his blood-sugar markers. But he stopped after noticing his average resting heart rate increased -- a known side effect of GLP-1s -- which he says led him to feel tired more quickly during his near-daily workouts.

"I still consider exercise to be the single most important longevity intervention, which is why I kind of got scared off," he says. "My body fat is low enough that it's not really worth it."

Common side effects such as nausea and constipation, as well as the drugs' price tag, can also be deterrents. Dr. Predrag Pavlovic, co-founder and chief medical officer of Longevity Care Clinic in Colorado Springs, Colo., isn't yet convinced that the benefits outweigh the costs for healthy people. He recommends patients take supplements instead.

"I would say, do you really want to feel nauseous? Do you want to be constipated?" says Pavlovic. "And they're probably going to say no."

A dearth of data isn't stopping companies from taking advantage of the growing consumer interest in the preventive potential of these drugs.

The global market for obesity drugs will reach $159 billion in 2030, according to Morgan Stanley Research estimates. The New England Consulting Group projects that by 2030, as much as 15% of the adult American population will be actively using the drugs, and 30% will have tried them, up from 10% and 15%, respectively, today.

AgelessRx, a telemedicine company whose clinicians prescribe off-label medications like metformin, rapamycin and GLP-1s for longevity, added a "microdosing semaglutide" option in February. It is a compounded form of the drug in the form of drops that users put under their tongues at low doses.

A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk said the company doesn't condone microdosing, which they described as a misuse of their products, and they are concerned about safety risks associated with compounded versions.

It is too early to declare GLP-1s a magic bullet for aging. For now, doctors say, a careful approach is warranted.

"There may be health promotion benefits," says Dr. Richard Isaacson, a preventive neurologist and director of the precision prevention program at Atria Health Institute. "But I'm cautious about using the term longevity promotion benefits."

Write to Alex Janin at alex.janin@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 10, 2025 21:00 ET (01:00 GMT)

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