According to research results published this week in JAMA Oncology, GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as Eli Lilly's (LLY.US) weight loss and diabetes therapy Mounjaro and Novo-Nordisk's (NVO.US) Ozempic, can reduce cancer risk. After studying electronic health records of more than 80,000 obese patients with no prior cancer history, researchers found that patients using GLP-1 drugs had a statistically significant reduction in overall cancer risk compared to those not using these medications.

The study was based on EHR data from the OneFlorida+ Health Research Network, covering the period from 2014 to 2024, including 43,315 non-GLP-1 drug users and 43,317 GLP-1 drug users. The GLP-1 drugs included Novo-Nordisk's Ozempic and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro.

The research results showed that among patients using GLP-1 drugs annually, the incidence rate for 14 types of cancer (including 13 obesity-related cancers such as endometrial tumors) was 13.6 cases per thousand people, while the incidence rate for non-users was 16.4 cases per thousand people.

However, the study further indicated that GLP-1 drugs were associated with a slight but non-significant increase in kidney cancer risk. Given the retrospective nature of the study and the fact that GLP-1 drugs are not indicated for cancer treatment, researchers are calling for long-term follow-up studies to evaluate the clinical significance and underlying causes of their findings.