Semaglutide helps people with type 1 diabetes using automated pumps maintain stable glucose levels without increasing hypoglycemia, according to a new study published in Nature Medicine. Led by Dr. Melissa-Rosina Pasqua at the RI-MUHC, the study highlights both the benefits and risks of off-label semaglutide use. Dr. Pasqua is also a recipient of the McGill Department of Medicine’s CAS pre-FRQS award, which supports early-career clinician-scientists in securing FRQS funding by providing stipend and research operating support.
“We know that off-label use of semaglutide is rising in people with type 1 diabetes, despite a lack of information to guide patients and healthcare providers on the benefits and risks associated with it,” says Dr. Melissa-Rosina Pasqua, the study’s first author and Assistant Professor in the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism at McGill University. “This study addresses a current treatment gap and is an important stepping stone in demonstrating the benefits of this drug, as well as the ongoing need to educate patients about the risks of high ketone levels.”
About the study
“Subcutaneous weekly semaglutide with automated insulin delivery in type 1 diabetes: a double-blind, randomized, crossover trial” by Dr. Melissa-Rosina Pasqua, Dr. Michael Tsoukas and Dr. Ahmad Haidar et al., was published in Nature Medicine.