People who take the drug of the obesity of Eli Lilly, Zepound, lost almost 50% more weight than those who used Wegovy, new Nordisk rival, in the first box office successful drug study.
Participants of the clinical trial who took tirzepatide, the drug sold as Zepound, lost an average of 22.8 kg of 50 kilos over 72 weeks, while those who took Semaglutida, or Wegovy, lost about 33 pounds (15 kg). This is in accordance with the study funded by Lilly, published on Sunday at the New England Journal of Medicine.
Both medications are part of a new class of drugs that work imitating hormones in the intestine and brain that regulate appetite and feelings of fullness. But Tirzepatide targets two of these hormones, known as LPG-1 and GIP, while Semaglutide targets LPG-1, said Dr. Louis Aronne, director of the Weill Cornell Medicine Weill Business Center.
“Two drugs together can produce better weight loss,” said Aronne, who led the study and presented the findings on Sunday at the European Congress on obesity in Spain.
While Tirzepatide has won what Aronne said that many opinions like “a drag effectiveness,” both are important tools for treating obesity, which affects about 40% of American adults.
“The goal of these medications is to improve health,” he said. “Most people will not need the most effective medication.”
The trial included 751 people from all over the US who were overweight or obese and at least another weight -related health problem, but not in diabetes. Participants received weekly injections of the most tolerated doses of Zepound, 10 milligrams or 15 milligrams, or Wegovy, 1.7 milligrams or 2.4 milligrams.
At the end of the trial, those who suffered Zepound lost about 20% of body weight on average compared to a loss of almost 14% for those who suffered Wegovy. The Tirzepatide Group trimmed about 17.8 centimeters from its waist circumference, compared to 12.7 centimeters with semaglutids. In addition, almost 32% of people suffering from Zepound lost at least a quarter of body weight compared to about 16% of people who take Wegovy, according to the study.
Weight loss was about 6% lower in men than in women in both groups, the authors observed. As participants in both groups have lost more weight, they saw improvements in health markers such as blood pressure, blood fat and blood sugar levels.
More than three quarters of patients who take both medications reported at least one side effect, especially light to moderate gastrointestinal problems such as nausea, constipation, diarrhea and vomiting. About 6% of the participants who took Zepound left the study due to adverse events, compared to 8% of those who take semaglutid.
GLP-1 drugs have become increasingly popular, with at least 1 in 8 US adults reporting their use, according to a KFF 2024 survey, an independent health policy research organization. Zepbound generated $ 4.9 billion in global sales last year. Wegovy brought nearly $ 8.8 billion (58.2 Billion Danish Kroner).
Access and accessibility have broader use of medicines. Tirzepatide and Semaglutide have been recently removed from a drug shortage list by US Food and Drug Administration. Both manufacturers recently launched programs that reduce costs to about $ 500 per month or less, depending on the dose.
Other factors may affect access. This week, CVS Health said WeGovy will become the favorite option in its default form, or list of covered medications from July 1st. Zepbound will be excluded.
It is important to have a number of medications to treat such a widespread disease as obesity in the US, Dr. Angela Fitch, medical director of Knowell, said an obesity assistance company. Wegovy has been found to reduce the risk of severe heart problems by 20%, she noted. A medicine can work well for a patient, but not for others.
“We will need to use them all just because we have many patients who need treatment,” he added.