In a pharmaceutical head-to-head, tirzepatide was found to provide 47% greater relative weight loss compared to semaglutide. On average, patients using tirzepatide lost 50.3 lbs (22.8 kg), and those using semaglutide lost 33.1 lbs (15.0 kg) after 72 weeks. In addition, for the study’s secondary endpoint, 31.6% of people taking tirzepatide achieved at least 25% body weight loss compared to 16.1% of those taking semaglutide. The randomized, open-label trial included 751 participants across the United States and Puerto Rico who were obese or overweight with at least 1 of several studied comorbidities, not including diabetes. The results have not been published in a peer reviewed journal, but Eli Lilly and Company, makers of tirzepatide, plans to publish the results, according to an investor news release.
Stick to the regimen: It seems as if new clinical evidence for glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs like tirzepatide and semaglutide keeps reinforcing the benefits of these drugs. However, patients also need to stick to diet and exercise plans to realize the weight loss expected from the GLP-1s. According to an issue brief in June from Blue Health Intelligence, more than half of patients on GLP-1 medications don’t continue them beyond 12 weeks, and more than 30% end treatment by 4 weeks.
Read More
- GLP-1 Drugs Increasingly Used For Weight, Not Diabetes
- Updates in Weight Management Pharmacotherapy: Essential Knowledge For The Urgent Care Clinician