A large new study found no link between semaglutide, the drug used in Ozempic and Wegovy, and pancreatic cancer.

What this means for you

If you take semaglutide, or you know someone who does, this news should ease a worry that has been floating around for a while. Semaglutide is a drug that helps the body manage blood sugar and lose weight. Some early reports and animal studies raised a question about whether it might raise the risk of pancreatic cancer. This new research says no.

The study was presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Milan, Italy, running from September 28 to October 2. It was led by Anton Pottegård, a professor at the University of Southern Denmark. Health regulators had actually required this kind of study when semaglutide was first approved, as a way to double check its safety over time.

Here is how the study worked

1. Researchers used nationwide health records from Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.
2. They compared people who took semaglutide for type 2 diabetes with people who took other diabetes drugs, like sulfonylureas, SGLT-2 inhibitors, or insulin.
3. Everyone in the study had filled at least two prescriptions in their first year of treatment.
4. Researchers tracked new cases of pancreatic cancer starting one year after treatment began.

The numbers were reassuring. Out of 97,464 semaglutide users, 131 developed pancreatic cancer. Among the comparison group, 123 people did, out of a similar number of person-years tracked. Rates of the disease were close to the same in both groups across all three countries.

When researchers pooled the results from all three countries, they still found no higher risk tied to semaglutide. They also checked whether higher doses or longer use of the drug changed anything. It didn't. People on higher doses or longer treatment showed no extra risk either.

Pottegård said the findings held steady across countries and through many extra checks the team ran to test the result. He added that this matches other evidence already out there, which makes the case even stronger that semaglutide does not raise pancreatic cancer risk.

This site exists to explain health and science news like this in plain terms, especially for busy people who don't have time to wade through medical jargon. Nobody should need a dictionary just to understand what a new study means for their health.

If you have concerns about semaglutide or any diabetes medicine, the best next step is to talk with your doctor about your specific health history and any new research that applies to you.