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Can GLP-1s heal the brain? Obesity drugs get a makeover for addiction and depression
Mariana Lenharo is a reporter for Nature in New York City.
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Heavy alcohol use can cause atrophy (shown in red) in parts of the brain. Credit: Medical Body Scans/Science Photo Library
The quest for GLP-1 drugs that can treat brain disorders is getting a fresh infusion of energy and funding. Pharmaceutical companies have plunged into developing GLP-1-related compounds to treat addiction, schizophrenia, depression and other conditions — building on years of work by academic scientists.
Last month, pharma giant Eli Lilly presented the first clinical results of brenipatide, a compound related to the company’s blockbuster obesity drug tirzepatide, for treatment of alcohol use disorder. Last week, biotechnology firm Kariya Pharmaceuticals shared early clinical results of a similar compound called KP405 for Parkinson’s disease. And biotechnology company Baseline Therapeutics plans to start a clinical trial in early 2027 of a GLP-1 compound for alcohol use disorder.
Why do obesity drugs seem to treat so many other ailments?
Researchers have long been interested in GLP-1 drugs’ potential against brain conditions. But, until recently, the pharmaceutical industry has not shared that interest, says Lorenzo Leggio, an addiction scientist at the National Institutes of Health in Baltimore, Maryland.
The companies’ new focus on these therapies could accelerate access for people who could benefit from them, says Christian Hendershot, an addiction scientist at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
“With the industry trials coming online, we’ll see this area of work grow even more quickly in the next couple of years,” Hendershot says. “Hopefully that will lead to one or more FDA approvals for GLP-1 therapies for addiction.”
Some of the blockbuster obesity drugs, such as semaglutide, mimic the gut hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). Others, such as tirzepatide, mimic both GLP-1 and the gut hormone gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP). Both hormones are involved in regulating blood-sugar levels, among other functions.