Scripps researchers investigate whether weight loss drugs could improve long COVID symptoms

SAN DIEGO (NBC, KYMA) - Scripps researchers in La Jolla are looking to find whether weight loss drugs could be used to improve symptoms of long COVID.

"I really hope that this is the first successful um you know clinical trial that can make a big difference for people with long COVID," said Julia Moore Vogel, Assistant Professor and Senior Program Director at Scripps Research. "I myself have had long COVID for five years and I deeply understand how difficult it is...and so I'm hoping that even just seeing the trial happening now can provide people hope."

Vogel says there's been anecdotal evidence over the past few years of people who are taking GLP-1's like Ozempic and Zepbound for weight loss who then say they see other improvements happening.

"There have been cases about it helping with autoimmune conditions, decreasing rates of cancer, helping decrease addiction and so we basically don't fully understand what is happening with these drugs," Vogel explained.

This is where this digital clinical trial comes in.

"People can do this from their couch or their bed or wherever they are and this is especially important for people with long COVID who have a lot of energy limitations," Vogel shared.

Participants can be anywhere in the United States with the exception of Hawaii, and everything you need is just going to be shipped straight to your house.

"A lot of people are house bound, a subset of them are bed bound, and so they generally are systematically excluded from trials that require you to go in person to a clinic," Vogel spoke.

It makes this really accessible and it's also considered a gold standard trial, meaning it is double blind, placebo controlled and it is randomized.

"So we won't know who's on the drug or the placebo, half the people will be on the drug, half the people will be on placebo," Vogel said.

Check-ins will happen through video chats and because of what this drug Tirzepatide is typically used for, a monitor like a Garmin watch will be worn to keep an eye on weight.

"If it is successful, we would be interested in expanding to other conditions that are inflection associated," Vogel expressed.

Scripps Research is looking for 1,000 people to be a part of the trial. Participants need to be at least 18, live in the United States, and have documentation that confirms their diagnosis.

To learn more about it, click here.