Weight-loss drugs show possible positive effects in HIV, cancer and other diseases
Drugs such as Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy are showing effects well beyond weight loss and diabetes treatment, NOS reports. Studies and early clinical experiences point to potential benefits in diseases ranging from cancer and cardiovascular conditions to arthritis, sleep apnea, and HIV, according to medical researchers in the Netherlands.
The medications, originally developed to treat diabetes, have transformed obesity treatment and are now the subject of expanding research into whether they can influence a broader set of conditions, including some not traditionally linked to excess weight.
Researchers note that obesity is associated with 13 forms of cancer, as well as cardiovascular disease and joint disorders. In those cases, weight reduction itself is considered a key factor in lowering risk.
“For a long time we have only treated the diseases caused by obesity,” said Liesbeth van Rossum, an internist-endocrinologist specializing in obesity research. “Now an era is coming in which we can increasingly treat obesity itself, which lies as the driving factor behind those diseases.”
Beyond weight loss, scientists are increasingly focused on possible direct biological effects of the drugs. Van Rossum said there are indications that the medications may have a direct beneficial effect on blood vessels, separate from weight reduction, particularly in cardiovascular disease.
She also emphasized caution in interpreting early findings, noting that while research is growing rapidly, much of the evidence remains indirect or based on relatively small studies, and definitive proof is still lacking in many areas.
One of the most closely watched areas of investigation is inflammation-related disease. Internist and HIV researcher Casper Rokx, who treats patients with HIV and obesity, said he has observed notable effects in this group.
“The drugs also work fantastically against inflammatory responses. That is exactly something people with HIV on average suffer from a lot,” Rokx said. He added, “So this could have very major implications for the treatment of people with HIV.”
Researchers say HIV has historically been difficult to treat in terms of chronic inflammation, and Rokx noted that until now there have been “essentially no treatments” that effectively target these inflammation-related processes in the virus.
A separate case has drawn attention to possible anti-inflammatory effects in other diseases. Modini Kakade, who has sarcoidosis — a condition involving inflammation in organs and tissues—reportedly experienced a disappearance of her symptoms after using a weight-loss drug obtained through her husband, initially taken for weight loss. A related video segment was shown, lasting 1 minute and 14 seconds.
Despite these observations, Rokx stressed that more rigorous research is needed before the drugs can be used more broadly for HIV-related inflammation outside of obesity treatment. He said he would prefer to study the effect in a controlled research setting, including in patients without obesity.
“I would like that in a research setting. Then you can investigate whether you can already reduce that inflammatory response before people are overweight, and whether that also leads to better survival,” Rokx said.
Van Rossum also underscored that proper medical supervision is essential regardless of the condition being treated. She warned against unsupervised use of the medications.
“I would strongly urge that people not simply start using them on their own,” she said.
