North Dakota State University and Sanford announce the launch of research into GLP-1 medicine

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) — Sanford and NDSU have announced the launch of research into the effects of GLP-1 obesity medication.

The project is called PREDICTors of Clinically Relevant Outcomes on GLP-1 Treatment for Obesity.

$210,000 has been funded for the collaboration from NDSU, Sanford Health, and the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services.

The goal of the project is to understand how GLP-1 medications work by examining factors such as a person’s daily food intake and their progress throughout the period of taking the medicine.

“GLP-1 is relatively and their use has changed dramatically in the very recent past. And this is our first empirical examination of them,” said Dr. Scott Engel, Vice President of Biobehavioral Research at Sanford Research.

“We’re building on strengths that we’ve developed over the past two decades in looking at other modalities of weight loss, such as surgical weight loss and applying some of what we’ve learned over that time to now, the pharmacotherapy options or the drug options for the treatment of obesity,” said Dr. Kristine Steffen, Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development in the College of Health and Human Sciences NDSU, Senior Director of Clinical Biobehavioral Research of Sanford Division of Biobehavioral Research.

Enrollment in the program is expected to open in late July.