Semaglutide Can Help People with Schizophrenia
A new study from the Department of Clinical Medicine and Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen suggests that Ozempic, a medication normally used to treat type 2 diabetes, can also make a significant difference for people with schizophrenia. The research indicates that early treatment with semaglutide can help reduce weight and blood sugar levels in patients at risk of developing serious comorbidities.
People with schizophrenia have a shorter life expectancy than the general population, often due to cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Part of the explanation lies in side effects from antipsychotic medication, which can lead to weight gain and elevated blood sugar. This makes prevention crucial.
Researchers from Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen and the Department of Clinical Medicine at the University of Copenhagen studied the effect of semaglutide in 73 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. All participants had elevated blood sugar but had not yet developed diabetes. They were randomly assigned to receive either semaglutide (via Ozempic) or a placebo as a supplement to their antipsychotic treatment.
After 26 weeks, the results were clear:
- Treatment slowed - and in some cases improved - metabolic challenges. Patients on semaglutide lost an average of 9.2 kg more than the placebo group.
- Blood sugar levels dropped significantly in the semaglutide group, whereas the placebo group showed no changes.
- 43% of the semaglutide group reached a “low-risk” blood sugar level - compared to only 3% in the placebo group.
- Waist circumference, BMI, and fat mass also decreased significantly.
Most importantly, the medication did not negatively affect psychiatric symptoms, and side effects were mild and temporary. Professor and Chief Physician Anders Fink-Jensen, one of the study’s lead authors, says:
“For the first time, we see evidence that we can intervene early and target the metabolic trajectory in patients treated with clozapine or olanzapine. The results show that we can reduce both weight and blood sugar without compromising psychiatric treatment.”
Major Clinical Significance
If confirmed in larger and longer-term studies, semaglutide could become an important tool in preventing diabetes and cardiovascular disease in people with schizophrenia. Today, GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide are rarely used in psychiatry—partly due to high costs and limited research.
“Patients with severe mental illness generally have poorer access to preventive health services. If we want to reduce the unacceptable excess mortality in this group, we must prioritise new, effective measures like this—also financially,” says Anders Fink-Jensen.
Funding
The study was funded by the Mental Health Services in the Capital Region of Denmark and by an unrestricted research grant, as well as semaglutide and semaglutide-placebo pens from Novo Nordisk A/S.
The Lundbeck Foundation, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, and P. Carl Petersen Foundation funded scholar students.
Role of the Funder/Sponsor: The funders had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.
Contact
Clinical Professor
Anders Fink-Jensen
Department of Clinical Medicine,
University of Copenhagen