GLP-1 receptor agonists — the drug class that includes Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro — were linked to improved survival among colon cancer patients in a new observational study from UC San Diego.
Researchers analyzed clinical data from more than 6,800 colon cancer patients treated at Oakland-based University of California Health sites. Patients who were taking GLP-1s were “less than half as likely to die within five years compared to those who weren’t on the drugs,” and associated with a mortality rate of 15.5%, compared to 37.1% among nonusers. The study adjusted for age, BMI, disease severity and other health factors, according to a Nov. 11 UC San Diego Today report.
The benefit was most pronounced in patients with a BMI over 35, which researchers said may reflect GLP-1’s role in reducing systemic inflammation, improving insulin sensitivity and supporting weight loss — all of which could affect cancer progression.
The analysis was led by Raphael Cuomo, PhD, associate professor in the department of anesthesiology at UC San Diego School of Medicine.
The findings are observational, and the authors underscored the need for clinical trials to assess further whether GLP-1 drugs could improve survival in obesity-related cancers, according to the report.
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