So Where Did These Drugs Come From?

And science journalists need to learn their craft.

Study reveals insights into diabetic kidney disease and how anti-obesity drugs work (Semaglutide restricts RAGE kidney damage)
Medical Xpress / Monash University / Kidney International | Dec. 8, 2023 | Melinda Coughlan et al.

Data could partly explain why a trial of a new drug for diabetes, was recently halted because it was found to be so effective. Importantly, the data also reveals how anti-obesity drugs like Ozempic, actually work, which to date has been a mystery.

In early November the FLOW trial of the drug semaglutide on the progression of renal impairment in people with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease was halted ahead of schedule because of the drug’s efficacy.

Part of the rationale for the cessation of the trial could be explained by research showing that a drug that targets a particular hormone GLP1, also interacts with a receptor called RAGE, to control the kidney damage that is the hallmark of type 2 diabetes.

The discovery of the importance of RAGE opens up new therapeutic drug targets for the prevention of kidney disease in people with diabetes. Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) occurs in up to 40% of individuals with diabetes.

“Our study opens up a way to potentially prevent kidney disease in those people who are, so far, treatment-resistant.”

The discovery of how the RAGE receptor works in diabetes, could also explain how the obesity drug, Ozempic, and similar drugs targeting obesity, work.

According to Professor Mark Cooper, “To date, we know these drugs, which were developed to tackle diabetes, help with weight loss; however, their mode of action has not been understood, particularly in reducing diabetic complications including kidney disease,” he said.

“We know that the RAGE receptor promotes kidney injury but by blocking interactions between drugs such as Ozempic and this RAGE receptor we now have new information to expand and develop new drugs to protect the kidney.”

I guess I’m confused as to whether these drugs were, from the outset, created to address obesity or diabetes:

… how anti-obesity drugs like Ozempic, actually work …

The discovery of how the RAGE receptor works in diabetes, could also explain how the obesity drug, Ozempic, and similar drugs targeting obesity, work.

According to Professor Mark Cooper, “To date, we know these drugs, which were developed to tackle diabetes, help with weight loss …. “