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GLP-1 Medications Show Promise for Improving HS Symptoms

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Authors:

Allison Hanka, College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Jordyn Nepper, BS, Department of Dermatology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Noah Goldfarb, MD, Associate Professor, Departments of Medicine and Dermatology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Why was this research done? 

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) are a group of medications developed to treat Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, but have also been shown to promote weight loss and decrease inflammation. Prior studies have suggested a benefit of GLP-1 RAs for Hidradenitis Suppurativa (HS). The researchers in this study wanted to learn if HS signs and symptoms improved for patients taking GLP-1 RAs.  

How was this research done? 

The researchers looked at data collected in France from 2017 to 2024. Sixty-six patients with HS were studied before starting a GLP-1 RA medication and again after six months of use. The researchers measured how bad the HS lesions were, how often the patients had flares, and the amount of pain and drainage they had. The researchers also looked at how HS affected their quality of life. 

What did they find? 

For HS patients using a GLP-1 RA for six months, the researchers found: 

• Less severe HS: 54% of participants improved by one point and 12% improved by two or more points on the HS-PGA (Hidradenitis Suppurativa Physician Global Assessment) scale, which measures general severity of HS on a scale from 0 to 5.
• Decreased flares: 38% of participants had fewer flares.
• Less pain: 52% of patients reported less pain.
• Less drainage: 53% of patients experienced less drainage.
• Improved quality of life: 50% of patients reported improvement in their quality of life

What is the impact of this research? 

This study showed improvements for patients with HS after six months on a GLP-1 RA. However, more research is needed to confirm these findings and study why the medications improved HS for some patients. It is possible that GLP-1 RA may improve the signs and symptoms of HS in several ways:

• Losing weight
• Treating diabetes
• Reducing inflammation

Limitations: This study was retrospective, meaning it looked back at existing patient data, and it did not include a control group. Some patients received other HS treatments, and biological data, such as blood glucose (sugar) levels, were not collected. These factors make it difficult to determine if improvements were caused by the GLP-1 RA.

Paper citation: Gouvrion L, Delage M, Villani AP, et al. Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists in Hidradenitis Suppurativa. JAMA Dermatol. Published online August 13, 2025. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2025.2723

Image Credit: OpenAI. (2026). AI-generated image of a GLP-1 injection pen [Image]. ChatGPT (DALL·E). https://chat.openai.com/