New research finds a combination of drugs improves weight loss, glucose control and insulin resistance better than either drug alone. Using two diabetes medications together, such as a semaglutide like Ozempic or Rybelsus, with a second, newer class of drug, may offer a noninvasive solution to help people with type 2 diabetes lose weight. This could also help them manage their condition without the need for bariatric surgery.
The study is ahead of print in the . The work is titled "The enduring metabolic improvement of combining dual amylin and calcitonin receptor agonist and semaglutide treatments in a rat model of obesity and diabetes." Type 2 diabetes and obesity, particularly when they occur together, carry the long-term risk of cardiovascular disease.
Studies have shown that losing at least 15% of a person's body weight can improve metabolic factors associated with diabetes and reduce associated health risks. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 analogs) medications such as semaglutide reduce blood sugar on their own. However, researchers are exploring newer treatments that combine different classes of drugs to improve weight loss and obesity-related conditions in people with type 2 diabetes.
One of these additional drug classes is called dual amylin and calcitonin receptor agonists, or DACRAs. In their study, researchers from Denmark studied a rat model of obesity and diabetes. For seven months, adult rats were treated with either semaglutide alone, a DACRA .