GLP-1 Therapy Well Tolerated Among Patients With Multiple Sclerosis

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) therapy is well tolerated among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and obesity, according to study results presented at the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS) Forum 2024 Annual Meeting, held in West Palm Beach, Florida, from February 29-March 2, 2024.

Disability can occur during MS, which complicates the feasibility of exercise interventions to counteract weight gain. Although GLP-1 receptor agonists are gaining popularity for weight loss, they have not been studied among people with MS.

Researchers conducted a cohort study to assess the experiences of patients with MS taking GLP-1 receptor agonists for weight loss using data from electronic medical records at Massachusetts General Hospital. Patients were adults with MS who were prescribed semaglutide or tirzepatide from January 2005 to August 2023.

The study included a total of 33 patients, of whom 79% were women and 70% had relapse-remitting MS. The patients had a mean age of 53 years, an average disease duration of 13 years, and a mean initial body mass index of 40.02 kg/m². The most frequent comorbidities were hyperlipidemia (45%), hypertension (42%), and diabetes (30%).

Among the patients taking disease-modifying therapies, 39% took ocrelizumab, 12% took glatiramer acetate, and 6% took rituximab. A total of 24% of patients were not taking disease-modifying therapies.  

Semaglutide was prescribed among 85% of patients. After an average treatment duration of 15 months (range, 2-58), patients had an average weight loss of 12 lb (range, +10 to -44).

Although the researchers identified no clinical relapses during GLP-1 treatment, 2 patients developed new lesions on magnetic resonance imaging, whereas 24% of patients reported gastrointestinal side effects, including constipation, stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting. Only 1 patient discontinued medication use due to these side effects.

“The GLP-1 class of drugs appears safe in the MS patient population in our experience.,” the researchers concluded. “Future studies should query the effects of weight loss medications on mitigating MS risk and disease evolution.”

This article originally appeared on Endocrinology Advisor