Metformin News and Research

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Metformin is the active ingredient in a drug used to treat diabetes mellitus (a condition in which the body cannot control the level of sugar in the blood). It is also being studied in the treatment of cancer. It decreases the amount of glucose (a type of sugar) released into the bloodstream from the liver and increases the body’s use of the glucose. Metformin is a type of antidiabetic agent.

PMOS rethink reframes a common hormone disorder as a whole-body disease

A new review reframes PCOS, now proposed as PMOS, as a systemic endocrine and metabolic disorder shaped by genetic, epigenetic, ovarian, metabolic, and neuroendocrine pathways. It highlights why inconsistent diagnosis and symptom-focused care have limited progress, while targeted therapies, biomarkers, machine learning, and organ-on-chip models may support more personalized treatment.

18 Jun 2026

Semaglutide, omega-3s and diet shift epigenetic aging clocks in human studies

A systematic review identified 41 human studies evaluating interventions targeting next-generation DNA methylation-based aging clocks. Pharmaceutical, lifestyle, supplement, clinical, and psychosocial interventions shifted some clock outputs, but these biomarkers remain investigational rather than proven clinical surrogates.

16 Jun 2026

Metformin reduces long COVID risk according to ACTIV-6 clinical trial

New findings from the ACTIV-6 randomized clinical trial provide important confirmation of prior clinical trial results that metformin, a widely available and inexpensive medication with an established safety record, reduced the risk of clinician-diagnosed long COVID when started during acute COVID-19 infection.

11 Jun 2026

Gut bacterial molecule reduces intestinal inflammation by slowing cell energy

Enterobactin, a molecule produced by gut bacteria, may hold a surprising key to reducing intestinal inflammation. Not by attacking the immune system directly, but by temporarily slowing down the cell's own energy production.

11 Jun 2026

Injectable semaglutide may improve fertility outcomes in PMOS

Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz have published a proof-of-concept study in Fertility and Sterility demonstrating that injectable semaglutide may offer meaningful reproductive benefits for women with polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), formerly known as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

9 Jun 2026

Retatrutide reshapes metabolism in obesity and type 2 diabetes, study finds

Retatrutide altered circulating metabolites and lipids linked to fatty acid oxidation and insulin resistance in people with obesity, with or without type 2 diabetes. These biomarker changes suggest improved metabolic health, but the post-hoc analysis remains hypothesis-generating and does not prove direct clinical benefit.

26 May 2026

Explainable AI could make breast cancer drug predictions safer and clearer

AI-driven genomic analysis could help researchers identify existing drugs that may be repurposed for subtype-specific breast cancer treatment. The review proposes an interpretability-driven framework that links multi-omics data, mechanistic validation, and clinical translation to make AI predictions more transparent and clinically useful.

22 May 2026

Global consortium renames polycystic ovary syndrome to reflect science

First, it was named after two men. Then, it was named for a false premise. Now, after more than a century, one of the most common hormone disorders affecting women worldwide has a name that reflects the science.

18 May 2026

GLP-1 weight loss medications linked to significant drop in asthma flares

New research presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul, Turkey (12-15 May) shows the use of the new GLP-1 class of obesity drugs in people with asthma is associated with a 26 % fall in the number of asthma exacerbations and a 14% drop in use of asthma inhaler reliever use. The study is by Simon Høj and Dr Kjell Erik Julius Håkansson, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark and colleagues.

15 May 2026

Four OICR-funded studies explore transformative approaches in cancer care

Four new research studies funded by the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) will deliver cutting-edge innovations by maximizing the impact of existing research and making the most out of patient contributions.

13 May 2026

Could GLP-1 drugs help breast cancer patients live longer?

A large retrospective cohort study of adult female breast cancer patients found that GLP-1 receptor agonist use was associated with better all-cause survival and recurrence-free survival in patients with obesity or type 2 diabetes. The strongest associations were seen versus non-use in obesity and versus insulin or metformin in type 2 diabetes, while comparisons with SGLT2 inhibitors were less consistent and require further study.

12 May 2026

Metformin targets the gut instead of the liver to lower glucose

For decades, physicians and scientists thought metformin, the leading Type 2 diabetes medication taken by millions worldwide, mainly targets the liver to suppress glucose production.

8 May 2026

Study explains the link between NDMA-contaminated water and childhood cancer

A new study from MIT suggests that a carcinogen that has been found in medications and in drinking water contaminated by chemical plants may have a much more severe impact on children than adults.

17 Apr 2026

Study identifies new genes linked to severe pregnancy sickness

The USC research team that recently identified the hormone-encoding gene GDF15 as a key driver of pregnancy sickness has identified 9 additional genes linked to its most severe form, hyperemesis gravidarum (HG).

14 Apr 2026

Metformin protects neurons after brain injury by restoring mitochondrial health

TBI remains a major cause of death and long-term neurological disability worldwide, yet effective treatments for secondary injury are still lacking.

13 Apr 2026

Genetic variants may reduce effectiveness of popular diabetes drugs

More than a quarter of people with Type 2 diabetes take GLP-1 receptor agonists, but the popular diabetes drugs might not work as well for people who have certain genetic variants, according to a new study by Stanford Medicine scientists and their collaborators.

12 Apr 2026

Metformin boosts an exercise-linked metabolite and may help control weight in prostate cancer patients

Metformin raised the exercise-linked metabolite Lac-Phe in prostate cancer patients across disease stages and treatment settings, while Lac-Phe itself did not predict anticancer response. Patients in the BIMET-1 metformin arm also showed better weight management during anti-androgen therapy, highlighting a possible metabolic benefit relevant to prostate cancer care.

7 Apr 2026

Metformin mimics exercise-related metabolic effects in prostate cancer patients

A new study has found that metformin, a widely prescribed diabetes drug, may mimic one of exercise's core biological effects in men with prostate cancer, raising levels of a molecule tied to energy balance and weight control even when patients are inactive.

6 Apr 2026

Lifestyle care in primary clinics allows for safe diabetes deprescribing

A new research study provides real-world evidence that deprescribing glucose‑lowering medications is both feasible and safe when patients with type 2 diabetes receive lifestyle‑informed care in primary care settings.

31 Mar 2026

Antidepressant fluvoxamine reduces long COVID fatigue in clinical trial

A randomized placebo-controlled trial found that fluvoxamine, a low-cost antidepressant, reduced fatigue and improved quality of life in adults with long COVID, offering one of the first evidence-based medication options for this persistent condition. In contrast, metformin did not provide meaningful benefit for established long COVID fatigue, highlighting fluvoxamine as the more promising treatment candidate in this study.

30 Mar 2026