DIABETES jab Ozempic and the weight-loss drug Wegovy have soared in popularity in recent months.
But there has been concern that the class of drugs - called glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA) - might increase the risk of thyroid cancer.
Now, a major new study by the Karolinska Institutet has found no evidence of such a link, deeming that GLP-1 drugs don't increase people's risk of developing the cancer.
Widely used to treat conditions like diabetes and obesity, the jabs work by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone produced naturally by your gut when you eat food, to control blood sugar levels, slow down digestion of food and reduce hunger pangs.
Despite their relatively recent spike in popularity, the drugs have already been the subject of much research.
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Earlier studies and adverse event data suggested that GLP-1 drugs could be associated with an increased risk of thyroid tumours.
But scientists weren't able to draw clear conclusions due to limitations in their data and methodology, meaning this potential side effect was surrounded in uncertainty.
“Many people take these medicines, so it is important to study potential risks associated with them,” noted Björn Pasternak, principal researcher at the Department of Medicine, Solna, at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.
“Our study covers a broad group of patients and provides strong support that GLP-1 analogues are not associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer.”
Researchers analysed national register data from Denmark, Norway, and Sweden of about 145,000 patients treated with GLP-1 analogues, mainly liraglutide or semaglutide, and 290,000 patients treated with another diabetes medication, DPP4 inhibitors.
These are a class of oral diabetes drugs, also known as gliptins, that help regulate blood glucose levels by protecting a group of gastrointestinal hormones called incretins from damage.
Meanwhile, semaglutide is the active ingredient in both Ozempic and Wegovy, while liraglutide is the main ingredient of weight loss jab Saxenda.
Scientists analysed each group's risk of developing thyroid cancer over the course of just under four years.
Their results, published to the British Medical Journal, showed that GLP-1 treatments were not associated with an increased risk of thyroid cancer.
The results were consistent also when compared to a third diabetes medication group, SGLT2 inhibitors.
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“We cannot rule out that the risk of certain subtypes of thyroid cancer is increased in smaller patient groups that we could not study here, for example in people with a high congenital risk of medullary thyroid cancer who are advised against using these drugs,” Peter Ueda, assistant professor at the Department of Medicine, added.
Thyroid cancer is affects the small butterfly-shaped gland that sits in the front, lower part of your neck and makes hormones.
It's quite rare in the UK, with around 3,900 Brits diagnosed with it each year, Cancer Research UK says.
It causes symptoms like:
- A lump in your neck
- A hoarse voice that lasts for more than 3 weeks
- A sore throat or difficulty swallowing that does not get better
Harnessing weight loss jabs for other conditions
The Karolinska Institutet is running an ongoing research programme to investigate the effects and potential side effects of newer diabetes medications such as GLP-1 analogues and SGLT2 inhibitors.
These medications are now being used to treat broader patient groups, including those with obesity, heart failure, and kidney failure.
A recent French study even suggested that GLP-1 drugs could be used to slow the progression of Parkinson's disease.
Dr Pasternak said: “We know from randomised clinical trials that they have positive effects, but clinical reality is different with patients varying in disease severity, comorbidities, and adherence to treatment recommendations.
“It’s therefore essential to investigate how these medicines perform in everyday clinical settings.”
Research shows that GLP-1 drugs could be harnessed to improve health in other ways, as they appear to have potential to treat Alzheimer's, as well as heart disease, fatty liver disease, and chronic kidney disease.
It's been suggested that patients with sleep apnoea, heart failure and alcohol addiction could also benefit.
