Prof Tim Spector leads research to see if Ozempic could beat bowel cancer

Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK, with roughly 44,000 new cases each year affecting people of any age. However, popular new injections like Wegovy and Ozempic may have provided an unintentional leap forward in both treatment and detection.

Early evidence has shown that these medications, both of which have a proven effect on the body’s metabolism, could cut down the risk of bowel cancer by reducing inflammation in the gut. Professor Tim Spector is also leading the research into this phenomenon, expecting answers in the next 5 years.

The £20million research project is being spearheaded by the famed doctor alongside King’s College London’s Sarah Berry to investigate the link between colorectal cancers and bacteria living in the gut. This will also explore the effect that jabs like weight-loss product Wegovy or the type 2 diabetes treatment Ozempic could have on the microbiome and colorectal cancer as a result.

READ MORE:Two teaspoons of snack cuts cholesterol and boosts brain function

READ MORE:Doctor says 'stop' as common habit could be weakening immune system

The professors told the Mail on Sunday: “It’s thought that if certain bacteria are present in the microbiome you may be more likely to develop the disease. If we can firm this up, it’s possible that doctors could work out from a stool sample whether you are at risk of tumours later on. We don’t have answers yet, but within five years we might. It could be game-changing.”

The late Dame Deborah James was one of the first notable names among bowel cancer patients through her platform Bowel Babe before her death in 2022. Since then, Strictly’s Amy Dowden and Dawson’s Creek legend James Van Der Beek have become some of the most high-profile stars to reveal their diagnosis.

A similar study published in the JAMA Oncology journal last year found that these drugs indirectly lowered the risk of colorectal cancer by helping to manage diabetes and weight, which are risk factors for the disease. Researchers from Case Western Reserve University in Ohio found that glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist injections, or GLP-1 RAs like Ozempic, cut down the risk of colorectal cancer by 44% in type 2 diabetics compared to those who were treated with insulin and 25% lower than those being treated with metformin.