“The shortage of Ozempic for the treatment of diabetes will be solved in one to two years” – Princess of Asturias Award

Daniel J. Drucker (Montreal, Canada, 1956) is one of the recipients of the Princess of Asturias Prize for Scientific and Technical Research, which will be awarded in Oviedo on the 25th. Other prominent researchers include Jeffrey M. Friedman, Joel F. Habener, Jens Juul Holst, and Svetlana Moisova. Their findings established the endocrine basis of diabetes and obesity and, for the first time, allowed the development of effective drugs to combat diabetes and obesity, such as semaglutide. In addition, they allow us to mitigate comorbidities such as cardiovascular disease.

Dr. Drucker graduated from the University of Toronto School of Medicine in 1980. In 1984, he received a fellowship to work at the Massachusetts General Hospital, and in 1987, he joined the Toronto General Hospital, where he worked until 2021. Since 2006 he has been a researcher. senior at the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital in the same city. He combines his research with teaching at the University of Toronto, where he has been a professor since 1987 and a professor since 1996. The author of approximately 430 scientific publications and 33 patents, he has received 89,195 citations and has an H-index of 148.

Several of Professor Drucker’s answers mention GLP-1, a hormone that stimulates insulin secretion and has a satiating effect, giving it revolutionary effectiveness against diabetes and obesity.

– What are the main milestones of your career?

– I have been researching diabetes for 40 years. I studied endocrinology and come from Toronto, the birthplace of Banting and Best and the discovery of insulin, so diabetes was a natural topic of great importance to me. Let us remember that in 1921, Dr. Frederick Banting, a surgeon, and Charles Best, a medical student, first managed to isolate the hormone insulin.

– At what point did you start to think that you were making important discoveries?

“Our research in the 1980s was very interesting, and at that time there was already the possibility of developing GLP-1 as a new therapy for diabetes. However, the research process and clinical development took many years.

– Could you explain in simple terms how semaglutide works?

– Semaglutide acts on the endocrine pancreas, controlling islet hormones that regulate blood sugar, and acts on the brain to control intestinal motility and appetite, allowing for weight loss. It also works in many parts of our body to reduce blood pressure, cholesterol and inflammation.

– Do you consider it a great success that the same drug works on diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular risk?

– Yes, cardiovascular disease is a serious complication for people with diabetes or obesity, and we have been working for more than 15 years to understand how GLP-1 drugs reduce the development of strokes and heart attacks.

I receive messages almost every week from people who have taken these medications and their health has improved dramatically in many ways; It’s great to hear these stories.

– Are we talking about one of the most successful drugs in the history of medicine?

“It’s too early to tell, but many trials are underway to find out whether GLP-1 hormone treatments could provide benefits well beyond type 2 diabetes or obesity.”

– At the moment, the drugs Ozempic and Vegobi are already on the market. It is expected that there will be even more of them in the near future.

“There are dozens of new GLP-1 drugs in development that open up new opportunities to improve the drugs we have now—it’s a very exciting time.”

– To what extent can these medications be improved in terms of greater effectiveness or fewer side effects?

“There are huge opportunities to make drugs easier to take, to produce drugs that are more effective, more tolerable and with fewer side effects: we will learn a lot in the coming years.

– How can we ensure that these medicines reach the poorest countries and patients?

“There are many GLP-1 hormone tablets in development that will be much easier to produce, hopefully much cheaper and easier to distribute since they won’t require injections, pen administration, or refrigeration.” Getting to market may take two to three years, but it will be a huge help.

– What do you know about problems with the supply of Ozempic in many countries?

“This is a huge problem because we are seeing limited availability of medicines because the demand for medicines far exceeds the supply. This is a very difficult time for people living with chronic illness.

– Will the deficit be eliminated?

– Yes, within the next 12–24 months.

– How do you assess that these drugs are used by people who are obese but do not have diabetes?

– There is excellent clinical trial data showing that GLP-1 drugs reduce heart attacks, strokes and mortality in people who are overweight or obese or with a history of cardiovascular disease. We are learning more about the health benefits of these drugs in different populations.

– Do you think these drugs will replace diets for weight loss?

– No, diet, exercise and a healthy lifestyle are essential to improve a person’s health and should always be considered before and along with taking medications.

– What is the most beautiful or impressive thing that people who have benefited from your research have told you?Yes?

– Almost every week I receive messages from people who have taken these medications and their health has improved significantly in many ways. Some feel like they have a new opportunity to live a healthy lifestyle. It’s great to hear these stories.

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