Oral semaglutide did not slow Alzheimer’s progression in two phase 3 trials

What the study found

Novo Nordisk’s evoke and evoke+ trials (3,808 adults aged 55–85 with early symptomatic, amyloid-positive Alzheimer’s) found that oral semaglutide 14 mg did not beat placebo on the CDR-SB measure of decline over 104 weeks. Some Alzheimer’s-related biomarkers improved, but that did not translate into slower disease progression, and the extension phase was stopped.

Why it matters for healthspan

Observational studies had raised hopes that GLP-1 drugs protect the brain; this is a rigorous negative result for treating established Alzheimer’s. It does not settle whether these drugs affect dementia risk when started earlier, which needs separate trials.

Evidence level

Human RCT · Brain & Cognition

Source

Novo Nordisk A/S. evoke phase 3 trials did not demonstrate a statistically significant reduction in Alzheimer’s disease progression. November 24, 2025

Educational summary curated by Farhan Tahir, MD, FACR. Not individual medical advice.