This new drug is a jab at Ozempic.
Tirzepatide, a weekly injectable that rivals celebrity-favorite Wegovy, is one step closer to approval for weight loss by the Food and Drug Administration after its latest clinical trial showed promising results.
Known under the brand name Mounjaro, the drug helped study participants shed nearly 16% of their body weight in just 16 months, manufacturer Eli Lilly announced Thursday.
Tirzepatide is already FDA-approved for treating diabetes.
Tirzepatide has been shown to help people lose weight by mimicking hormones that lower blood sugar and curb appetite.
The latest trial included 938 people who had type 2 diabetes or were obese or overweight.
Those who took the highest dose of tirzepatide during the trial lost an average of 34 pounds — a stark contrast to the seven pounds dropped by those on the placebo.
More than 80% of participants on the drug saw a minimum weight loss of 5%, compared to 30.5% of those taking the placebo, according to the data, which will be presented at the American Diabetes Association’s 83rd Scientific Sessions and submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.
Eli Lilly said it expects regulatory action as early as late 2023.
If approved for weight loss, the novel drug’s sales could reach $48 billion, according to NBC News, which cited an estimate from Bank of America analyst Geoff Meacham.
Past research on tirzepatide found participants who took a higher dosage lost more than 22% of their body weight over 16 months.
The latest trial results come amid a boom of drugs touted as the cure-all for weight loss. Popularized by now ultrathin A-listers, the diabetes medication Wegovy and sister drug Ozempic are spurring a frenzy.
But the injectable may come at a price higher than its $1,300 cost: sagging skin and a sunken appearance. Rapid weight loss has been shown to result in an “old” looking mug — dubbed “Ozempic face” — that is prompting droves of women to seek filler to replace their fat.
Other weight loss remedies are also being studied, as those eager to drop a pants size or two rely on drugs to shed the pounds. GEP44 and CPACC are among the meds being tested on rodents, also yielding promising results.
There’s hope the medications might ease the ongoing obesity epidemic, which is only projected to worsen in the next decade.
This year, a “worrying” report from the World Obesity Federation estimated that over 4 billion people, or over half of the world’s population, will be obese or overweight by 2035.
