If you’ve been debating starting a weight-loss treatment like tirzepatide or semaglutide, you’re going to want to listen closely. In a new trial conducted by Eli Lilly, its tirzepatide injection for weight loss, Zepbound, helped patients drop more pounds than Wegovy, Novo Nordisk's semaglutide injection approved for weight management. Ozempic, which has the same active ingredient as Wegovy, is only approved to treat type 2 diabetes, but it is also often prescribed off-label for weight loss. But while semaglutide may have reigned supreme as the face of the weight-loss drug industry, Eli Lilly's treatment has apparently surpassed its effectiveness.
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The head-to-head trial involved 751 participants across the U.S. and Puerto Rico, all of whom were overweight or obese and living with one of the following health ailments: hypertension, dyslipidemia (unhealthy lipid levels in the blood), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), or cardiovascular disease. Researchers focused on participants without diabetes.
Researchers sought to compare weight loss results produced by tirzepatide (Zepbound) and semaglutide (Wegovy) after 72 weeks. Participants were randomly assigned to receive 10 mg or 15 mg of Zepbound or 1.7 mg or 2.4 mg of Wegovy.
While both drugs aided with weight loss, Zepbound participants saw significantly greater results. This group, on average, lost 20.2 percent of their body weight, while the Wegovy group lost 13.7 percent. In total, data showed that participants on Zepbound lost 47 percent more weight than their Wegovy counterparts
More participants on Zepbound also lost at least 25 percent of their body weight than those on Wegovy, 31.6 percent versus 16.1, respectively. In summary, study results suggested that Zepbound was nearly twice as effective in promoting weight loss as Wegovy.
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"Given the increased interest around obesity medications, we conducted this study to help health care providers and patients make informed decisions about treatment choice," Leonard C. Glass, MD, FACE, senior vice president of global medical affairs at Eli Lilly Cardiometabolic Health, said in the release.
He continued, "We are thrilled that today's findings showed the superior weight loss of Zepbound, which helped patients achieve 47% more relative weight loss compared to Wegovy. Zepbound is in a class of its own as the only FDA-approved dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist obesity medication, and it's changing how millions of people manage this chronic disease."
When starting any type of medication, including weight-loss injections, it’s important to familiarize yourself with potential side effects. For this trial, the most commonly reported side effect for both Zepbound and Wegovy was gastrointestinal-related, ranging from “generally mild to moderate in severity.”
Lilly said that people using Zepbound may also experience nausea, diarrhea, constipation, indigestion, hair loss, heartburn, tiredness/lack of energy, and injection site reactions. In more advanced cases, the weight-loss drug can trigger kidney and gallbladder problems, pancreatitis, hypoglycemia, depression, and severe stomach issues.
Results from the study will be published in a peer-reviewed journal following Lilly’s presentation of the trial at a medical meeting slated for next year. If you’re thinking about starting Zepbound or any type of weight-loss drug, first speak with your healthcare provider, who can help determine the right plan for you.
