Bond.az – GLP-1 weight-loss and diabetes drugs may have a future role in cancer prevention and treatment, according to new research highlighted by Citi ahead of the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology meeting.
Citi said two newly released studies provide some of the strongest evidence yet that GLP-1 receptor agonists could influence cancer outcomes. While both analyses are retrospective, the consistency of findings across multiple tumor types suggests a signal that warrants further investigation.
One study from the University of Pennsylvania examined nearly 95,000 women and found that GLP-1 use was associated with a lower incidence of breast cancer. A second analysis from the Cleveland Clinic evaluated seven tumor types and found that GLP-1 exposure was linked to reduced metastatic progression in several cancers.
Genomic evidence also shows that higher expression of GLP-1 receptors within tumors was associated with improved overall survival, particularly in breast cancer patients. Citi emphasized that randomized clinical trials will be needed to determine whether GLP-1 drugs directly improve cancer outcomes.
Neither Eli Lilly nor Novo Nordisk is currently running oncology-specific GLP-1 studies, but Citi believes the growing body of evidence suggests oncology could become a significant source of long-term upside for GLP-1 therapies.
