Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic Fails to Slow Alzheimer’s in Landmark Trials

The Rybelsus trials, covering a combined 3,808 patients with early-stage Alzheimer’s, were closely watched as a potential breakthrough. However, after two years of study, the trials—known as EVOKE and EVOKE+—were discontinued, signaling minimal impact on disease progression despite some changes in Alzheimer’s biomarkers.

"Today we announced that our efforts to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease have come to an end," Novo CEO Mike Doustdar said in a LinkedIn video. "We always knew that the likelihood of success was low, but it was important to explore this frontier based on indicative data points."

Alzheimer’s disease affects over 55 million people worldwide, and treatments remain extremely limited. Currently, only a few therapies, such as Biogen’s Leqembi and Eli Lilly’s Kisunla, are approved in the U.S. to slow progression, requiring infusions or injections and carrying notable side effects.

The trials evaluated cognitive performance, memory, and daily functioning over two years, aiming to achieve a 20% slowing of cognitive decline. While Rybelsus had shown promise in early data, it ultimately failed to meet expectations, disappointing investors and researchers alike. Shares of Novo Nordisk fell more than 12% following the announcement, closing down 5.8%, while competitor Eli Lilly’s stock rose 1%.

Alzheimer’s advocacy groups expressed cautious optimism. Joanne Pike, president of the Alzheimer’s Association, said: "While these results are not what we had hoped for, they will contribute to our understanding of this devastating and fatal disease."

Novo Nordisk plans to release topline results at an Alzheimer’s conference on December 3, with full data expected at another meeting in March 2026. Despite the setback, researchers remain committed to exploring the potential of GLP-1 drugs in neurodegenerative disease, highlighting the persistent challenge of finding effective treatments for Alzheimer’s.