[Comment] First phase 3 trial of GLP-1 receptor agonist for neurodegeneration

The discovery and development of GLP-1 receptor agonists for type 2 diabetes and obesity is a bench-to-bedside success story.1 Multiple GLP-1 receptor agonists are now in clinical use, such as exenatide, lixisenatide, and, most recently, semaglutide, with new agents in the pipeline. Their clinical indications are quickly expanding to include conditions related to type 2 diabetes and obesity, from cardiovascular disease to obstructive sleep apnoea to knee osteoarthritis. In the phase 3 trial by Nirosen Vijiaratnam and colleagues2 in The Lancet, a more high-risk indication was investigated: exenatide as a disease-modifying therapy for Parkinson's disease.