- Growing evidence suggests that tirzepatide may be extremely effective for weight loss.
- Patients taking tirzepatide lost more weight than with semaglutide or Ozempic.
- The drug is pending FDA approval for weight loss, but available as a diabetes treatment.
There’s even more evidence that tirzepatide, a medication originally designed to treat diabetes, may help people lose a lot of weight — even more so than other popular medications like Ozempic.
Patients taking a once-weekly injection of tirzepatide, currently available to diabetes patients under the brand name Mounjaro, lost more than 24% of their body weight, on average, by the end of the 84-week trial, according to new research. These findings, presented Sunday at ObesityWeek® 2023, an annual conference of the Obesity Society, are the full results of a study that funder Eli Lilly previewed in July.
By comparison, patients using Ozempic and Wegovy, which contain semaglutide, lost about 15% on average over a similar time period, according to a different study.
“These are extraordinary findings,” Thomas Wadden, lead author, past president of the Obesity Society and professor of psychology in psychiatry at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, said in a press release.
Patients on tirzepatide also saw significant improvements in other measures of health such as blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure, he said.
The findings add to a growing body of research suggesting that tirzepatide could be a highly effective treatment for weight management and related health complications. It’s also promising news for manufacturer Eli Lilly, which is developing a new brand-name version of tirzepatide for weight loss, awaiting FDA approval.
How tirzepatide works for weight loss
Tirzepatide is a type of medication known as a GLP-1 agonist, which means it mimics a naturally-occurring hormone in the body called a peptide to influence specific hormone receptors linked to feelings of hunger and fullness. It also helps regulate insulin by mimicking a hormone called GIP.
In the latest study, researchers from multiple universities, including Johns Hopkins, as well as pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly (who funded the study), looked at nearly 600 patients who were overweight or obese.
Participants initially underwent a 12-week weight-loss phase without taking any medication — following a strict routine of lifestyle strategies like diet and exercise. The patients lost about 7 percent of their body weight on average during this period.
Then, they were randomly assigned to receive either the maximum dose of tirzepatide or a placebo for 72 weeks.
By the end of the study period, those on tirzepatide had lost an additional 18.4% of body weight, on average. In contrast, the placebo group gained weight, about 2.5% of their body weight on average.
Tirzepatide may be more effective for weight loss than Ozempic or Wegovy
In the most recent study, patients lost an average of 64 pounds, making the results comparable to those from surgical interventions like sleeve gastrectomy, according to Wadden.
“Tirzepatide could offer a safe and highly effective alternative to surgery for some people with severe obesity,” he said in the press release.
Previous evidence also suggests that tirzepatide may be more effective than other medications for weight loss. Semaglutide, which is sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, was called a “game changer” when it was approved for weight loss in 2021. It also works by acting on GLP-1 receptors to help patients lose weight.
One 2021 study on the effects of tirzepatide versus semaglutide on patients with type 2 diabetes found that tirzepatide led to more weight loss. More studies directly comparing the two medications are ongoing.
Tirzepatide vs. semaglutide side effects
While tirzepatide is generally considered safe, it can cause gastrointestinal issues.
In the most recent study, 80% of tirzepatide patients reported at least one side effect — the most common were nausea
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
