A study in Barcelona will determine if Ozempic promotes female fertility

In addition to the multiple and well-known properties of semaglutide, the active ingredient in medications such as the popular Ozempic that promote weight loss, its ability to improve reproductive outcomes in women with overweight or obesity could be added.

Dexeus Mujer has launched a pioneering clinical trial in Barcelona to analyze whether prior treatment with semaglutide can improve the outcome of in vitro fertilization in women with obesity. The researchers start from the fact, demonstrated in previous studies, that excess weight can negatively affect fertility, as it is associated with hormonal alterations, insulin resistance, chronic inflammation, and poorer oocyte and embryo quality.

“Since we know that adipose tissue is an active endocrine organ that can interfere at the metabolic and hormonal level, we think that prior weight loss treatment could improve reproductive outcomes,” speculates Ainhoa Coco, a specialist in assisted gynecological endocrinology at Dexeus Mujer. “We know that GLP-1 receptor agonists [such as semaglutide] improve obesity, but there are no studies on the effect of these drugs on fertility,” she adds.

The research group has selected 62 women up to 38 years old with a body mass index (BMI) between 27 and 40 kg/m2 who have been prescribed in vitro fertilization treatment. Half will undergo treatment with semaglutide twelve weeks before starting ovarian stimulation. The other half will be part of the control group and will undergo the fertilization procedure without any pharmacological weight loss treatment.

62 women up to 38 years old, with overweight and indication for in vitro fertilization, participate in the trial

The study will compare the number of good quality embryos obtained in both groups. The researchers’ hypothesis is that prior use of semaglutide may have a positive impact on fertility, especially on the quality of eggs and embryos. “The goal is not to study semaglutide as an assisted reproduction treatment,” warns Dr. Coco, but to see if modifying the metabolic environment beforehand has results from a reproductive point of view.

For Coco, obesity and overweight constitute “a pandemic and a problem we encounter daily in our clinic” and their influence on the reproductive procedure is evident. “We have encountered cases where everything is correct and you do assisted reproduction treatments and they do not work,” she states.

A healthy lifestyle helps, but sometimes it is not enough. And to achieve an optimal metabolic state requires time. New medications against overweight can help reduce the time needed to face assisted fertilization with guarantees, the specialists understand. Infertility affects approximately 10-15% of couples of reproductive age and, among its most common causes, overweight and obesity play a relevant role,” they assure.

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