GLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs Could Stop Cancer Progressing Says New Study

InnovationHealthcareGLP-1 Weight Loss Drugs Could Stop Cancer Progressing Says New StudyByVictoria Forster,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Cancer biologist, patient engagement specialist, cancer survivorFollow AuthorMay 25, 2026, 06:45am EDTGLP-1 receptor agonist drugs may reduce the risk of cancer progressing, according to the results from a new study (Photo by: Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesGLP-1 medications such as Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro have already transformed treatment for obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Now, emerging research suggests they may also reduce the risk of tumors spreading to other parts of the body in people who have cancer.The study due to be presented this week at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) meeting looked at data from over 10,000 patients with different types of solid tumors including breast, prostate, colorectal and lung cancers. The research found that patients who began taking GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs after their cancer diagnosis had a lower risk of their cancer progressing, compared with patients taking a different type of medication used to treat diabetes called gliptins“Our study found that use of GLP-1 drugs, compared to DPP-4 inhibitors [gliptins] and other antidiabetic drugs, was associated with a meaningful reduction in cancer progression across 4 solid tumor types. It provides early evidence that future studies are worth pursuing,” said Mark Orland, MD, from Cleveland Clinic in Ohio and lead investigator of the study in a press release.Using a global health research network called TriNetX containing data from more than 145 million patient records, the researchers found data from people with cancer who started GLP-1 receptor agonists after their diagnosis. They further found patients with the same characteristics and demographics who had been given a different anti-diabetic drug to act as...