Liraglutide in mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease: a phase 2b clinical trial
Summary
This phase 2b trial tested whether liraglutide, a GLP-1 agonist used in diabetes care, could be safely used in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease without diabetes. The ELAD study enrolled 204 participants across multiple centres, comparing daily liraglutide injections with placebo over 52 weeks.
Liraglutide was generally safe and well tolerated. The study did not show a significant difference in the primary brain metabolism outcome, but participants receiving liraglutide performed better on an executive-function cognitive measure. No significant differences were seen in activities of daily living or overall dementia severity.
The research adds to evidence on metabolic and anti-inflammatory treatment approaches in Alzheimer's disease. It also demonstrates experience in running complex Alzheimer's trials using brain imaging, MRI, and detailed cognitive assessment.
| Title | Liraglutide in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease: a phase 2b clinical trial |
|---|---|
| Authors | Paul Edison; Grazia Daniela Femminella; Craig Ritchie; Joseph Nowell; Clive Holmes; Zuzana Walker; Basil Ridha; Sanara Raza; Nicholas R. Livingston; Eleni Frangou; Sharon Love; Gareth Williams; Robert Lawrence; Brady Mcfarlane; Hilary Archer; Elizabeth Coulthard; Benjamin R. Underwood; Paul Koranteng; Salman Karim; Carol Bannister; Robert Perneczky; Aparna Prasanna; Kehinde Junaid; Bernadette McGuinness; Ramin Nilforooshan; Ajay Macharouthu; Andrew Donaldson; Simon Thacker; Gregor Russell; Naghma Malik; Vandana Mate; Lucy Knight; Sajeev Kshemendran; Christian Holscher; Anita Mansouri; Mae Chester-Jones; Jane Holmes; Trisha Tan; Steve Williams; Azhaar Ashraf; David J. Brooks; John Harrison; Rainer Hinz; George Tadros; Anthony Peter Passmore; Clive Ballard |
| Journal | Nature Medicine, 32, 353–361 |
| Published | 1 December 2025 online; January 2026 issue |
| DOI | 10.1038/s41591-025-04106-7 |
| Full Article | Publisher full text / PubMed |