Novo Nordisk said an oral version of semaglutide did not slow progression of Alzheimer's disease in its late-stage trials. Sergei Gapon/AFP/Getty Images

An oral version of semaglutide, the active ingredient in blockbuster drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, failed to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in closely watched trials, Novo Nordisk said Monday.

In two Phase 3 trials of more than 3,800 adults receiving standard care for Alzheimer’s, the company evaluated whether an older pill form of semaglutide worked better than a placebo. The drug was shown to be safe and led to improvements in Alzheimer’s-related biomarkers, the company said , but the treatment did not delay disease progression.

Novo had long treated Alzheimer’s as a long-shot bet for the popular GLP-1 drugs. Use of these

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