title: The human GLP-1 analogs liraglutide and semaglutide: absence of histopathological effects on the pancreas in nonhuman primates.
abstract: Increased pancreas mass and glucagon-positive adenomas have been suggested to be a risk associated with sitagliptin or exenatide therapy in humans. Novo Nordisk has conducted extensive toxicology studies, including data on pancreas weight and histology, in Cynomolgus monkeys dosed with two different human glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. In a 52-week study with liraglutide, a dose-related increase in absolute pancreas weight was observed in female monkeys only. Such dose-related increase was not found in studies of 4, 13, or 87 weeks' duration. No treatment-related histopathological abnormalities were observed in any of the studies. Quantitative histology of the pancreas from the 52-week study showed an increase in the exocrine cell mass in liraglutide-dosed animals, with normal composition of endocrine and exocrine cellular compartments. Proliferation rate of the exocrine tissue was low and comparable between groups. Endocrine cell mass and proliferation rates were unaltered by liraglutide treatment. Semaglutide showed no increase in pancreas weight and no treatment-related histopathological findings in the pancreas after 13 or 52 weeks' dosing. Overall, results in 138 nonhuman primates showed no histopathological changes in the pancreas associated with liraglutide or semaglutide, two structurally different GLP-1 receptor agonists.
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Research Unit, Novo Nordisk, Måløv, Denmark.
authors.forename: Carsten F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Gotfredsen
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Research Unit, Novo Nordisk, Måløv, Denmark.
authors.forename: Anne-Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mølck
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Research Unit, Novo Nordisk, Måløv, Denmark.
authors.forename: Inger
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Thorup
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Research Unit, Novo Nordisk, Måløv, Denmark.
authors.forename: Niels C Berg
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Nyborg
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Research Unit, Novo Nordisk, Måløv, Denmark.
authors.forename: Zaki
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Salanti
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Research Unit, Novo Nordisk, Måløv, Denmark lbkn@novonordisk.com.
authors.forename: Lotte Bjerre
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Knudsen
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Research Unit, Novo Nordisk, Måløv, Denmark.
authors.forename: Marianne O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Larsen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D005260:Female; D052216:Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D004763:Glucagon-Like Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000069450:Liraglutide; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010179:Pancreas / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D011323:Primates; D000099194:Semaglutide
chemical_list: D052216:Glucagon-Like Peptide 1; D004763:Glucagon-Like Peptides; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D000069450:Liraglutide; D000099194:Semaglutide