People taking semaglutide for type 2 diabetes and/or weight control could have to take the medication just once a month, thanks to development of a monthly shot that contains a hydrogel.
The research was set to be presented at this year’s annual meeting of The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), which runs this week in Madrid.
Semaglutide is the active ingredient in drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic.
“Glucagon-like peptide-1 agonist (GLP-1) drugs [that contain semaglutide] have transformed type 2 diabetes care, but weekly injections can be burdensome for patients. A single shot a month could make it much easier for people living with diabetes or obesity to stick to their drug regimens, improving quality of life and reducing side effects and diabetes complications,” lead author Claire Mégret from ADOCIA, the Lyon, France biotechnology company that developed the hydrogel, said in a statement.
Semaglutide mimics the hormone GLP-1, and is currently used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes patients with insufficient glycemic control, and for long-term weight management.
People who take semaglutide for type 2 diabetes have adherence rates from 39% to 67% after one year; adherence for those taking it to lose weight is 40% at one year.
Long-acting formulations could improve the drug’s efficacy and safety by keeping drug levels steady in the body.
The hydrogel includes two degradable polymers that form a gel that slowly releases peptides.
“A small dollop of gel, known as a ‘depot,’ of the semaglutide-laden hydrogel is injected under the skin,” Mégret said. “The challenge is to formulate the hydrogel to entrap the peptides to limit initial burst (early release) of semaglutide molecules and, at the same time, to allow smooth release and controlled dissolving of the gel over one month, without generating toxic molecules.”
Several formulations of the hydrogel were tested to investigate the drug release rate, duration of action, and semaglutide load to define the best candidate.
The researchers found that the hydrogel could be easily injected. The trial was done in vitro, which means it was done in a container. Next, researchers plan to test it in pigs and then could do it in human clinical trials within a few years.
