University of Ottawa students harness tobacco relative to grow Ozempic-like drugs

iGEM uOttawa aims to develop sustainable semaglutide production following a long-lasting Ozempic shortage. [Image courtesy of Amelia Adams]

What if drug companies could grow peptide-based diabetes or weight-loss medication using Nicotiana benthamiana, a close relative of tobacco plant? A team of University of Ottawa students aims to make that dream a reality with Phytogene.

Ozempic, a go-to drug for type-II diabetes and weight loss, has been plagued by shortages until recently. The students found early success in using Nicotiana benthamiana to produce GLP-1 receptor agonists. The website for Phytogene notes: “With the power of genetic engineering, this plant can become a molecular facility for peptide synthesis.”

“Inspired by the recent Ozempic shortage, we built a proof-of-concept model system that expresses functional GLP-1 agonists in plants. We aim to create a future where people can reliably grow their own treatments at home, free from concerns about insurance, cost, or availability,” said team leader Victor Boddy, in a press release.

The researchers recently won a gold medal at the iGEM Grand Jamboree in Parisn for their work, competing against over 430 international teams.

How it works: Plant-based drug production

The Phytogene team genetically modifies Nicotiana benthamiana plants, turning them into miniature pharmaceutical factories. These modified plants are engineered to produce specific peptides — the building blocks of GLP-1 agonists like Ozempic/Wegovy. Researchers can then extract and purify these peptides for potential use in medications. This process, known as “biopharming,” offers several advantages over traditional pharmaceutical manufacturing. One, it’s potentially more scalable. But it’s also less expensive and reduces the greenhouse gas emissions and chemical waste associated with conventional methods. Nicotiana benthamiana is a popular choice for biopharming because it grows quickly, is easily genetically modified, and produces a high yield of proteins.

Promising, but preliminary

Phytogene is still in the early stages of development. The team is currently conducting laboratory experiments, analyzing blood glucose and insulin levels in response to the plant-produced compounds. Future plans include bioactivity assays to test the drug’s effectiveness on human cells. This is not the first time that Nicotiana benthamiana has been tapped in pharmaceutical contexts. For instance, a separate group of researchers have explored the use of Nicotiana benthamiana as an alternative platform for producing antigens for SARS-CoV-2 antibody detection tests (ELISA).