Monthly Semaglutide Goal: The End of Daily Pills?

TOPLINE:

MADRID — In a rat study, two versions of an experimental monthly injectable semaglutide-loaded hydrogel show extended release over 1 month and good tolerance. If found to be safe and effective in people, a once-monthly formulation could improve patient adherence and quality of life of those with type 2 diabetes or obesity.

METHODOLOGY:

• About half or more patients taking semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist approved for treating obesity with or without type 2 diabetes, may discontinue treatment with their once-weekly subcutaneous injections or daily oral pills at 12 months, but longer-acting formulations may increase drug efficacy and patient adherence.
• Researchers have developed two versions of an injectable semaglutide-loaded hydrogel mixed with a pair of degradable polymers that chemically bond together.
• After injection, the formulations form either a gel disk or microgel suspension that enables a gradual and prolonged drug release.
• To identify the optimal formulation, researchers analyzed the hydrogel compositions in vitro to study drug release kinetics, duration of effectiveness, and semaglutide loading content.
• The experimental semaglutide-loaded hydrogel disk or microgel particles were injected subcutaneously in six wild-type Wistar Han male rats of normal weight (250-300 g) to characterize semaglutide pharmacokinetics and hydrogel biocompatibility.

TAKEAWAY:

• The formulation could be easily injected using a 25G needle, with gelation starting within minutes of mixing.
• In both versions, a single injection of the hydrogel-based formulations in rats demonstrated a minimal initial early release, followed by a consistent release over the course of 1 month.
• The product was well tolerated with no edema or inflammatory reaction during the treatment period.
• The hydrogel could be easily degraded by enzymes in in vitro studies.

IN PRACTICE:

“A small dollop of gel, known as a ‘depot,’ of the semaglutide-laden hydrogel is injected under the skin,” said Claire Mégret, PhD, lead author of the poster presentation, in a news release. “Our pre-clinical results demonstrate that the regular, slow release of semaglutide over one month after administering a single dose, with limited early release, is achievable,” she added.

SOURCE:

This study was led by Audrey Marechal, Adocia, Lyon, France, and was published online on September 8, 2024, as a poster abstract 746 at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Madrid, Spain.

LIMITATIONS:

No limitations were discussed.

DISCLOSURES:

This study was funded by Adocia. No conflicts of interests by the authors were reported.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.