Daniel J. Drucker, Princess Research Award: “Patients are frustrated by drug shortages and those that do exist are expensive”

What does this award mean?

It is an incredible privilege to be recognized for answering a number of scientific questions that have puzzled me for decades.

What aspects of diabetes initially sparked this enthusiasm?

I’m from Toronto. The legacy of Frederick Banting and Charles Herbert Best (discoverers of insulin in 1921 at the same university) has always been present. I have been interested in diabetes and its treatment since I began research.

When and how did you discover the effectiveness of semaglutide in treating obesity and cardiovascular disease risk?

We’ve been studying how GLP-1 works in the heart for 20 years. In 2009, we published a paper showing that GLP-1 reduces experimental heart damage in mice independent of diabetes or weight loss. It was encouraging to see similar results confirmed in humans over the past decade.

Under what conditions might a person with obesity but without diabetes resort to these treatments?

GLP-1 drugs such as liraglutide, semaglutide and tirzepatide are approved in many countries for the treatment of excess weight and are quite effective solutions. Its purpose is to induce weight loss in a person who has a body mass index (BMI) greater than 27 and one or more complications; or a person with a BMI over 30 if you want to improve your health.

How will these treatments evolve in the medium term?

There are many exciting trials currently being conducted to treat new diseases. The main problem in the short term is that drugs are in short supply and those that are available are very expensive. This is very frustrating for patients.

What will be the impact on a global scale?

We must wait for trials that are being conducted on people with liver disease, Parkinson’s disease, addictions and Alzheimer’s disease. Once we have the findings, we can understand what their potential impact is.

When will diabetes become a curable disease?

This is a significant challenge, but more investment is needed. It is essential to conduct more research on prevention and implement more effective treatments.