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Exenatide once weekly versus placebo in Parkinson's disease: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
Open accessAbstract
Background Exenatide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, has neuroprotective effects in preclinical models of Parkinson's disease. We investigated whether these effects would be apparent in a clinical trial.Methods In this single-centre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, patients with moderate Parkinson's disease were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive subcutaneous injections of exenatide 2 mg or placebo once weekly for 48 weeks in addition to their regular medication, followed by a 12-week washout period. Eligible patients were aged 25-75 years, had idiopathic Parkinson's disease as measured by Queen Square Brain Bank criteria, were on dopaminergic treatment with wearing-off effects, and were at Hoehn and Yahr stage 2·5 or less when on treatment. Randomisation was by web-based randomisation with a two strata block design according to disease severity. Patients and investigators were masked to treatment allocation. The primary outcome was the adjusted difference in the Movement Disorders Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) motor subscale (part 3) in the practically defined off-medication state at 60 weeks. All efficacy analyses were based on a modified intention-to-treat principle, which included all patients who completed any post-randomisation follow-up assessments. The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01971242) and is completed.Findings Between June 18, 2014, and March 13, 2015, 62 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned, 32 to exenatide and 30 to placebo. Our primary analysis included 31 patients in the exenatide group and 29 patients in the placebo group. At 60 weeks, off-medication scores on part 3 of the MDS-UPDRS had improved by 1·0 points (95% CI -2·6 to 0·7) in the exenatide group and worsened by 2·1 points (-0·6 to 4·8) in the placebo group, an adjusted mean difference of -3·5 points (-6·7 to -0·3; p=0·0318). Injection site reactions and gastrointestinal symptoms were common adverse events in both groups. Six serious adverse events occurred in the exenatide group and two in the placebo group, although none in either group were judged to be related to the study interventions.Interpretation Exenatide had positive effects on practically defined off-medication motor scores in Parkinson's disease, which were sustained beyond the period of exposure. Whether exenatide affects the underlying disease pathophysiology or simply induces long-lasting symptomatic effects is uncertain. Exenatide represents a major new avenue for investigation in Parkinson's disease, and effects on everyday symptoms should be examined in longer-term trials.Funding Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.
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“Three clinical trials consistently describe a slowed decline in motor function when using the short-acting GLP-1 receptor agonists exenatide and lixisenatide in people with Parkinson's disease; 102-104”
From GLP-1 receptor agonists and next-generation incretin-based medications: metabolic, cardiovascular, and renal benefits (2026) · cites this paper as [102]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe source backs part of the claim, not all of it — or backs it for a different population, condition or comparison.
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“Treatment with exenatide or lixisenatide for 1 year produced a modest but positive effect on Movement Disorder Society–Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) part III scores in people with recently diagnosed Parkinson’s disease (15, 53).”
From Antiinflammatory actions of glucagon-like peptide-1–based therapies beyond metabolic benefits (2025) · cites this paper as [15]
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“This discrepancy may reflect differences in the neuroprotective mechanisms of semaglutide and tirzepatide vs earlier GLP-1RAs, such as exenatide, liraglutide, and lixisenatide, which have demonstrated favorable clinical benefits in early-stage Parkinson disease.33,50”
From Neurodegeneration and Stroke After Semaglutide and Tirzepatide in Patients With Diabetes and Obesity (2025) · cites this paper as [50]
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“In Parkinson's disease, phase II trials have shown that GLP-1 RAs such as exenatide and lixisenatide improve motor activity compared to placebo,53,54 and liraglutide has shown improvements in non-motor symptoms, mobility, and quality of life.55”
From The expanding role of GLP-1 receptor agonists: a narrative review of current evidence and future directions (2025) · cites this paper as [53]
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“There is increasing evidence from animal studies and clinical trials to suggest that GLP-1 receptor agonists could be beneficial in the treatment of PD, and one study using a prebiotic supplement that enhanced SCFA levels showed an increase GLP-1 levels in mouse models [141–144].”
From The gut–brain axis in early Parkinson’s disease: from prodrome to prevention (2025) · cites this paper as [142]
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“Multiple GLP-1 medicines, including exenatide (15), liraglutide (16), semaglutide (17, 18), and tirzepatide (19), reduce plasma CRP levels in people living with T2D and/or obesity.”
From Antiinflammatory actions of glucagon-like peptide-1–based therapies beyond metabolic benefits (2025) · cites this paper as [15]
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“Moreover, GLP-1 receptors interact with various neurotransmitter systems such as serotonin, dopamine, and glutamate, which are essential for mood regulation and may contribute to the onset of depression and other psychological disorders [82].”
From Exploring the Side Effects of GLP-1 Receptor Agonist: To Ensure Its Optimal Positioning (2025) · cites this paper as [82]
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“There is increasing evidence from animal studies and clinical trials to suggest that GLP-1 receptor agonists could be beneficial in the treatment of PD, and one study using a prebiotic supplement that enhanced SCFA levels showed an increase GLP-1 levels in mouse models [141–144].”
From The gut–brain axis in early Parkinson’s disease: from prodrome to prevention (2025) · cites this paper as [142]
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredIn the citing paper
“exenatide, administered at the dose approved for type 2 diabetes treatment, crosses the BBB in appreciable quantities and improves the motor and cognitive function of PD patients.”
From Microbiota–gut–brain axis and its therapeutic applications in neurodegenerative diseases (2024) · cites this paper as [616]
In the citing paper
“This study provides in vivo evidence that “beta-cell rest” can at least temporarily allow insulin secretory capacity recovery, and in vitro studies examining the effect of diazoxide on diabetic human islets produced similar findings.177”
From A review of current trends with type 2 diabetes epidemiology, aetiology, pathogenesis, treatments and future perspectives (2021) · cites this paper as [176]
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GLP-1a: Going beyond Traditional Use
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“[9] was a randomized, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial that investigated the effects of exenatide on Parkinson’s disease.”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialα-Synuclein pathology as a target in neurodegenerative diseases
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“effects on PD progression in a randomized, placebocontrolled trial.(69) At 60 weeks, in the exenatide group,”
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Self-citationGIP has neuroprotective effects in Alzheimer and Parkinson’s disease models
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“While these benefits for neurodegeneration may involve antiinflammatory actions, direct attribution to such effects remains to be conclusively demonstrated.”
Glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor is a T cell-negative costimulatory molecule
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“The results of the 2 small trials provide hugely encouraging data that exenatide and/or other related drugs may eventually play a role in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease (Athauda et al., 2017b; Foltynie and Aviles-Olmos, 2014).”
InfluentialSelf-citationLoss of Presynaptic Terminal Integrity in the Substantia Nigra in Early Parkinson's Disease
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“2 hours) withdrawal of ropinirole, pramipexole, rasagiline, and safinamide.(23,24) Hoehn and Yahr score was determined both off and on medication.”
BackgroundParkinson’s disease and diabetes mellitus: common mechanisms and treatment repurposing
Labandeira, C. M., Bau, A. F., Ron, D. A., Álvarez, E., Alba, P. V., Garma, J. L., & Rodriguez-Perez, A. I. (2021) · Neural Regeneration Research · doi:10.4103/1673-5374.332122 · Cited by 96
“This work permitted the development of a randomized, placebocontrolled, double-blind trial to investigate the role of exenatide in PD (Athauda et al., 2017).”
MethodMicrovascular Changes in Parkinson’s Disease- Focus on the Neurovascular Unit
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“…2021), and anti-aggregatives), enhancement of cellular clearance mechanisms to eliminate toxic forms of aSyn (autophagy (Pagan et al., 2020; Pagan et al., 2021), lysosomal function (Mullin et al., 2020)), and modulation of neuroinflammatory processes (Athauda et al., 2019; Athauda et al., 2017).”
BackgroundBiological and Clinical Implications of Comorbidities in Parkinson’s Disease
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“More recently, a double-blinded and placebocontrolled trial showed that treatment with exenatide improved motor symptoms in PD patients in an off-medication state compared with those given placebo (Athauda et al., 2017a,b).”
ResultClinical trials in REM sleep behavioural disorder: challenges and opportunities
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GLP-1 receptor agonists effect on cognitive function in patients with and without type 2 diabetes
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“Patients received drug or placebo for 48 weeks, and another test was conducted 12 weeks after drug treatment had stopped (Athauda et al., 2017).”
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“Following encouraging early trial results [20], multiple clinical trials have focused on GLP-1 receptor agonists, including repurposing of exenatide (currently in a Phase 3 trial in the UK) and lixisenatide as well as commercial efforts from Neuraly (NLY-01) and Peptron (PT-320).”
BackgroundGlucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP)
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Glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) likes Alzheimer’s disease
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“It is therefore intriguing to target the anti‐inflammatory component of neurodegeneration,(37) which is emphasized by the promising results in Parkinson's disease, where activation of the GLP‐1 axis led to positive effects on practically defined off‐medication motor scores.(38) The neuronal damage in diabetes is argua…”
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Current perspective of mitochondrial biology in Parkinson's disease
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Self-citationGlucose metabolism impairment in Parkinson’s disease
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“ingly used in type 2 diabetes management, have also emerged as a potential therapeutic agent for Alzheimer disease (15) as well as vascular brain injury (16).”
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“Moreover, they followed their patients for no more than 5 years(11, 34, 35).”
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“GLP-1R agonist exerts a protective effect on Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease [17-19] using its ability to traverse the blood-brain barrier [20,21].”
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“Only a minority of studies, that is, four in Parkinson’s disease 52–55 , five in substance-use disorders 111,113,115–117 , one in psychotic disorders 144 and two in mood disorders 178,179,182 , assessed the cognitive and mental health effects of GLP-1RAs in non-diabetic, non-obese populations.”
InfluentialGLP-1 receptor agonists show neuroprotective effects in animal models of diabetes
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Self-citationde Bie, R. M. A., Katzenschlager, R., Swinnen, B., Peball, M., Lim, S., Mestre, T., Perez‐Lloret, S., Coelho, M. M., Aquino, C., Tan, A. H., et al. (2025) · Movement Disorders · doi:10.1002/mds.30162 · Cited by 79
“In two small trials — one a double-blind trial 95 and the other an open-label trial with blinded video assessment of the MDS-UPDRS-III 94 — the potential neuro-protective effects of exenatide were evaluated in patients experiencing wearing off.”
Role of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease
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What Effects Might Exenatide have on Non-Motor Symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease: A Post Hoc Analysis
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“The Exenatide-PD study was a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled trial of exenatide 2 mg once-weekly in Parkinson’s disease assessing the effects of this drug on disease progression over 60 weeks, the details of which have been published previously [5].”
Self-citationPost hoc analysis of the Exenatide‐ PD trial—Factors that predict response
Athauda, D. S., Maclagan, K., Budnik, N., Zampedri, L., Hibbert, S., Avilés-Olmos, I., Chowdhury, K., Skene, S. S., Limousin, P. D., & Foltynie, T. (2018) · European Journal of Neuroscience · doi:10.1111/ejn.14096 · Cited by 76
Self-citationLiraglutide in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease: a phase 2b clinical trial
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“Exenatide treatment improved MDS-UPDRS scores in participants with Parkinson’s disease compared to controls 15,16 .”
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Quansah, E., Peelaerts, W., Langston, J. W., Simon, D. K., Colca, J. R., & Brundin, P. (2018) · Molecular Neurodegeneration · doi:10.1186/s13024-018-0260-x · Cited by 76
“As already mentioned, the GLP1 agonist exenatide was recently suggested to modify progression of motor symptoms in PD [22].”
BackgroundMethodResultInfluentialPayne, T., Appleby, M., Buckley, E., van Gelder, L. M. A., Mullish, B. H., Sassani, M., Dunning, M. J., Hernandez, D., Scholz, S. W., McNeill, A., et al. (2023) · Movement Disorders · doi:10.1002/mds.29450 · Cited by 76
“990778.(30) Twenty-four adverse reactions (ARs) were observed in 14/31 participants (10 UDCA and 4 placebo; Table 2).”
Self-citationGlucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist use is associated with reduced risk for glaucoma
Sterling, J., Hua, P., Dunaief, J. L., Cui, Q. N., & VanderBeek, B. L. (2023) · British Journal of Ophthalmology · doi:10.1136/bjophthalmol-2021-319232 · Cited by 75
MicroRNAs in Parkinson's disease and emerging therapeutic targets
Peplow, P., & Martinez, B. (2017) · Neural Regeneration Research · doi:10.4103/1673-5374.221147 · Cited by 73
“Whether exenatide affected the underlying disease pathology is uncertain (Athauda et al., 2017).”
BackgroundVandendriessche, C., Bruggeman, A., Cauwenberghe, C. V., & Vandenbroucke, R. E. (2020) · Cells · doi:10.3390/cells9112485 · Cited by 75
“In this trial, the treatment group demonstrated a slight improvement in their UPDRS motor score, whereas the control group continued to worsen [175].”
ResultImpaired brain insulin signalling in Parkinson's disease
Bassil, F., Delamarre, A., Canron, M., Dutheil, N., Vital, A., Martin‐Négrier, M., Bézard, E., Fernagut, P., & Meissner, W. G. (2021) · Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology · doi:10.1111/nan.12760 · Cited by 80
“Subsequently, a randomised placebo-controlled study has shown smaller, yet significant, differences on Unified PD Rating Scale III Off scores.(16) Additional clinical trials with exenatide, lixisenatide, liraglutide”
BackgroundType 2 Diabetes and Parkinson's Disease: A Focused Review of Current Concepts
Cullinane, P. W., Pablo‐Fernández, E. D., König, A., Outeiro, T. F., Jaunmuktane, Z., & Warner, T. T. (2022) · Movement Disorders · doi:10.1002/mds.29298 · Cited by 78
“5 points in off-medication MDSUPDRS, Part III, scores at the end of the study period in favor of the exenatide group.(227) A post hoc analysis also identified some improvements in nonmotor symptoms(228) as well as evidence of target engagement in the form of increased AKT, IRS-1, and mTOR stimulation in neuronal-deriv…”
ResultSelf-citationZhang, J., Culp, M. L., Craver, J., & Darley-Usmar, V. M. (2018) · Journal of Neurochemistry · doi:10.1111/jnc.14308 · Cited by 74
“A recent study has shown benefit for motor function of a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist approved for treatment of type 2 diabetes on PD patients in a clinical trial (Athauda et al. 2017).”
BackgroundHow glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists work
Andreasen, C. R., Andersen, A., Knop, F. K., & Vilsbøll, T. (2021) · Endocrine Connections · doi:10.1530/ec-21-0130 · Cited by 71
Cui, Q. N., Stein, L. M., Fortin, S. M., & Hayes, M. R. (2021) · British Journal of Pharmacology · doi:10.1111/bph.15683 · Cited by 72
“exenatide improved both motor and nonmotor deficits in patients with Parkinson's disease (Athauda et al., 2017) and liraglutide improved amyloid β accumulation (Gejl et al.”
BackgroundProglucagon-Derived Peptides as Therapeutics
Lafferty, R. A., O'Harte, F. P. M., Irwin, N., Gault, V. A., & Flatt, P. R. (2021) · Frontiers in Endocrinology · doi:10.3389/fendo.2021.689678 · Cited by 76
Prodromal Parkinson's disease: hype or hope for disease-modification trials?
Mahlknecht, P., Marini, K., Werkmann, M., Poewe, W. H., & Seppi, K. (2022) · Translational Neurodegeneration · doi:10.1186/s40035-022-00286-1 · Cited by 71
Peng, W., Zhou, R., Sun, Z., Long, J.-W., & Gong, Y.-Q. (2022) · Aging and Disease · doi:10.14336/ad.2021.0928 · Cited by 73
“However, it is unknown whether exenatide treatments can alter the course of the underlying PD [102].”
BackgroundMahlknecht, P., Gasperi, A., Djamshidian, A., Kiechl, S. J., Stockner, H., Willeit, P., Willeit, J., Rungger, G., Poewe, W. H., & Seppi, K. (2018) · Movement Disorders · doi:10.1002/mds.27281 · Cited by 70
Neuromodulatory effects of anti-diabetes medications: A mechanistic review
Yaribeygi, H., Ashrafizadeh, M., Henney, N. C., Sathyapalan, T., Jamialahmadi, T., & Sahebkar, A. (2019) · Pharmacological Research · doi:10.1016/j.phrs.2019.104611 · Cited by 71
The multi‐faceted role of mitochondria in the pathology of Parkinson’s disease
Trinh, D., Israwi, A. R., Arathoon, L. R., Gleave, J. A., & Nash, J. E. (2020) · Journal of Neurochemistry · doi:10.1111/jnc.15154 · Cited by 74
“Unfortunately, in patients with PD, a clinical trial involving exenatide given at a dose of 2mg (subcutaneously) weekly for 48 weeks showed no change in motor symptoms (Athauda et al., 2017).”
BackgroundAune, D., Schlesinger, S., Mahamat‐Saleh, Y., Zheng, B., Udeh‐Momoh, C. T., & Middleton, L. T. (2023) · European Journal of Epidemiology · doi:10.1007/s10654-023-00970-0 · Cited by 73
Can neuroimaging predict dementia in Parkinson’s disease?
Lanskey, J. H., McColgan, P., Schrag, A. E., Acosta‐Cabronero, J., Rees, G. E., Morris, H. R., & Weil, R. S. (2018) · Brain · doi:10.1093/brain/awy211 · Cited by 76
“patients for clinical trials of novel disease-modifying treatments (Athauda et al., 2017); (ii) to provide prognostic”
BackgroundChiappini, S., Vickers-Smith, R., Harris, D., Papanti Pelletier, G. D., Corkery, J. M., Guirguis, A., Martinotti, G., Sensi, S. L., & Schifano, F. (2023) · Pharmaceuticals · doi:10.3390/ph16070994 · Cited by 78
“Consistently, exenatide administered weekly had positive effects on practically defined off-medication motor scores in PD, and this outcome was sustained beyond the period of exposure [72].”
BackgroundGLP-1 receptor agonists for Parkinson's disease
Mulvaney, C. A., Duarte, G. S., Handley, J. D., Evans, D. J., Menon, S., Wyse, R. K. H., & Emsley, H. C. A. (2020) · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · doi:10.1002/14651858.cd012990.pub2 · Cited by 74
An early diagnosis is not the same as a timely diagnosis of Parkinson's disease
Rees, R. N., Acharya, A., Schrag, A. E., & Noyce, A. J. (2018) · F1000Research · doi:10.12688/f1000research.14528.1 · Cited by 72
Proper Management of People with Obesity during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Lim, S. K., Shin, S. M., Nam, G. E., Jung, C. H., & Koo, B. K. (2020) · Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome · doi:10.7570/jomes20056 · Cited by 72
“humans, GLP1 and GLP1 analogues have been shown to be beneficial for the treatment of chronic inflammatory diseases such as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease,(71) atherosclerosis,(66) and neurodegenerative disorders.(72) Taken together, these findings suggest that GLP1 analogues have a protective role against atheroscl…”
BackgroundGLP-1 Receptor Agonists in Neurodegeneration: Neurovascular Unit in the Spotlight
Monti, G., Moreira, D. G., Richner, M., Mutsaers, H. A. M., Ferreira, N., & Jan, A. (2022) · Cells · doi:10.3390/cells11132023 · Cited by 72
“In the clinical trials involving PD patients (NCT01971242, NCT01174810), 12 months’ treatment with exenatide improved motor and cognitive outcomes [90,91], albeit, these findings have been described as ‘low certainty evidence’ [92].”
BackgroundThe hormesis principle of neuroplasticity and neuroprotection
Mattson, M. P., & Leak, R. K. (2024) · Cell Metabolism · doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2023.12.022 · Cited by 77
Exenatide exerts cognitive effects by modulating the BDNF-TrkB neurotrophic axis in adult mice
Bomba, M., Granzotto, A., Castelli, V., Massetti, N., Silvestri, E., Canzoniero, L. M. T., Cimini, A., & Sensi, S. L. (2017) · Neurobiology of Aging · doi:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2017.12.009 · Cited by 70
Armentero, M., Cerri, S., & Blandini, F. (2019) · Frontiers in Neurology · doi:10.3389/fneur.2019.00232 · Cited by 75
Prevention of cardiorenal complications in people with type 2 diabetes and obesity
Drucker, D. J. (2024) · Cell Metabolism · doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2023.12.018 · Cited by 68
Álvarez, M. M., Cano-Herrera, G., Martínez, M. F. O., Gonzales-Portillo, J. V., Monroy, G. R., Pérez, R. M., Torres-Ríos, J. A., van Tienhoven, X. A., Bernot, E. M. G., Salazar, F. E., et al. (2024) · International Journal of Molecular Sciences · doi:10.3390/ijms25137183 · Cited by 77
“Similarly, these compounds have been shown to impact mitochondrial biogenesis, promote neurogenesis, and restore insulin signaling within the CNS [74].”
BackgroundChen, S., Yu, S., Li, Y., Lecca, D., Glotfelty, E. J., Kim, H. K., Choi, H., Hoffer, B. J., Greig, N. H., Kim, D. S., et al. (2018) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-018-28449-z · Cited by 68
Self-citationPromising disease-modifying therapies for Parkinson’s disease
Dawson, V. L., & Dawson, T. M. (2019) · Science Translational Medicine · doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.aba1659 · Cited by 67
Maskery, M. P., Goulding, E. M., Gengler, S., Melchiorsen, J. U., ROSENKILDE, M. M., & Hölscher, C. (2020) · American Journal of Alzheimer s Disease & Other Dementias® · doi:10.1177/1533317520953041 · Cited by 67
Guirguis, A., Chiappini, S., P, G. P., Vickers‐Smith, R., Harris, D. R., Corkery, J., Arillotta, D., Floresta, G., Martinotti, G., & Schifano, F. (2024) · European Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1016/j.euroneuro.2024.02.003 · Cited by 79
“Additionally, GLP-1 receptors interact with various neurotransmitter systems, including serotonin, dopamine, and glutamate (Athauda et al., 2017).”
BackgroundRecent advances in understanding the role of glucagon-like peptide 1
Reed, J., Bain, S., & Kanamarlapudi, V. (2020) · F1000Research · doi:10.12688/f1000research.20602.1 · Cited by 66
Diabetes Mellitus and Parkinson’s Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses
Komici, K., Femminella, G. D., Bencivenga, L., Rengo, G., & Pagano, G. (2021) · Journal of Parkinson s Disease · doi:10.3233/jpd-212725 · Cited by 67
Alternative role of glucagon-like Peptide-1 receptor agonists in neurodegenerative diseases
Chen, S., Chuang, Y., Lin, T., & Yang, J. (2022) · European Journal of Pharmacology · doi:10.1016/j.ejphar.2022.175439 · Cited by 68
Intranasal nanotherapeutics for brain targeting and clinical studies in Parkinson's disease
Saha, P., Kathuria, H., & Pandey, M. M. (2023) · Journal of Controlled Release · doi:10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.04.021 · Cited by 67
Maluf, F. C., Feder, D., & Carvalho, A. A. D. S. (2019) · Parkinson s Disease · doi:10.1155/2019/4951379 · Cited by 65
“Besides, a groundbreaking randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial demonstrated that PD patients treated with exenatide once in a week for 48 weeks had a 3.5-point advantage over placebo in the Movement Disorders Society Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS) [97].”
MethodInfluentialParkinson’s Disease and the Gut: Symptoms, Nutrition, and Microbiota
Yemula, N., Dietrich, C. M., Dostal, V., & Hornberger, M. (2021) · Journal of Parkinson s Disease · doi:10.3233/jpd-212707 · Cited by 71
“Excitingly, incretin mimetics such as exenatide may be neuroprotective and in a double-blinded randomized control trial demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in the UPDRS score [141].”
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Ceramides in Parkinson’s Disease: From Recent Evidence to New Hypotheses
Plotegher, N., Bubacco, L., Greggio, E., & Civiero, L. (2019) · Frontiers in Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnins.2019.00330 · Cited by 63
Recent Developments in Therapeutic Peptides for the Glucagon-like Peptide 1 and 2 Receptors
Suzuki, R., Brown, G. A., Christopher, J. A., Scully, C. C. G., & Congreve, M. (2019) · Journal of Medicinal Chemistry · doi:10.1021/acs.jmedchem.9b00835 · Cited by 64
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1)-based receptor agonists as a treatment for Parkinson’s disease
Glotfelty, E. J., Olson, L., Karlsson, T. E., Li, Y., & Greig, N. H. (2020) · Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs · doi:10.1080/13543784.2020.1764534 · Cited by 63
“Brain concentrations of Ex-4 in humans [38] and rats [12] are around”
BackgroundSelf-citationBeneficial effects of dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors in diabetic Parkinson’s disease
Jeong, S. H., Chung, S. J., Yoo, H. S., Hong, N., Jung, J. H., Baik, K., Lee, Y. H., Sohn, Y. H., & Lee, P. H. (2021) · Brain · doi:10.1093/brain/awab015 · Cited by 62
Diabetes: a tipping point in neurodegenerative diseases
Santiago, J. A., Karthikeyan, M., Lackey, M., Villavicencio, D., & Potashkin, J. A. (2023) · Trends in Molecular Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.molmed.2023.09.005 · Cited by 65
The expanding landscape of GLP-1 medicines
Drucker, D. J. (2026) · Nature Medicine · doi:10.1038/s41591-025-04124-5 · Cited by 70
“…a 12-week washout) and lixisenatide (106 patients, 12 months plus a 2-month washout), reported positive results even after cessation of study medication—usually reported as less deterioration in the motor subscale of the Movement Disorders Society Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale 42,43 .”
InfluentialPanagaki, T., Michael, M., & Hölscher, C. (2017) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-017-16488-x · Cited by 63
Lv, M., Xue, G., Cheng, H.-F., Meng, P., Lian, X., Hölscher, C., & Li, D. (2021) · Brain and Behavior · doi:10.1002/brb3.2231 · Cited by 63
Metadata
- Authors
- Athauda, D., Maclagan, K., Skene, S. S., Bajwa-Joseph, M., Letchford, D., Chowdhury, K., Hibbert, S., Budnik, N., Zampedri, L., Dickson, J., Li, Y., Aviles-Olmos, I., Warner, T. T., Limousin, P., Lees, A. J., Greig, N. H., Tebbs, S., & Foltynie, T.
- Affiliations
- National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (GB)
- University College London (GB)
- National Institute on Aging (US)
- Corresponding author
- Foltynie, Thomas
- ORCID
- Venue
- The Lancet
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-10
- Volume
- 390
- Issue
- 10103
- Pages
- 1664-1675
- ISSN
- 0099-5355 (ISSN-L)
- 0140-6736
- PMC
- PMC5831666
- OpenAlex
- W2744843428
- Cited by
- 889
- References
- 38
- Citations by year
- 2026: 114 · 2025: 136 · 2024: 114 · 2023: 73 · 2022: 85 · 2021: 93 · 2020: 98 · 2019: 77 · 2018: 77 · 2017: 20
- FWCI
- 51.34
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- The Lancet (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- Open Research (University of Surrey) (submittedVersion)
- LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Surrey Research Insight Open Access (The University of Surrey) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (Z99 AG999999)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Clinical Neurology › Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Clinical Neurology › Deep Brain Stimulation and Movement Disorders
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Nuclear Receptors and Signaling
- Keywords
- Parkinson's disease, exenatide, GLP-1 receptor agonists, neuroprotection, motor symptoms, off-medication state, dopaminergic therapy, neurodegeneration, adverse events, injection site reactions, gastrointestinal symptoms, drug repurposing, disease-modifying therapy
- MeSH terms
- Exenatide, Adult, Aged, Double-Blind Method, Drug Administration Schedule, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Neurologic Examination, Parkinson Disease, Peptides, Venoms, Treatment Outcome
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