Tirzepatide Brings Substantial Weight Loss In Diabetes Patients,

A new study from Eli Lilly and Company provides further evidence that the injectable diabetes drug tirzepatide may be an effective weight loss tool, in addition to its blood sugar control benefits. The study involved over 900 adults with obesity and diabetes who took the drug for 17 months, with those on the highest dose losing an average of 34 pounds, or almost 16% of their starting weight. The drug also helped participants reduce their blood sugar levels. While the data has not yet been peer-reviewed or published in a medical journal, the company is optimistic about the results.

Study Results

Dr. Nadia Ahmad, an associate vice president at Eli Lilly, commented on the study, stating, “We have not hit 15% in any other phase three trial for weight management in this type two diabetes population.” She noted that it is particularly challenging for people with type 2 diabetes to lose weight, making these results all the more promising.

Tirzepatide, sold as Mounjaro, is currently approved to help people with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar. Eli Lilly plans to use the results from this study, along with data from an earlier study of weight loss in people without diabetes, to seek fast-track FDA approval for tirzepatide as a weight loss drug. If approved, it would compete directly with the popular obesity drug Wegovy.

Some doctors have already been prescribing tirzepatide off-label for weight loss, despite the drug’s shortage last year due to high demand and manufacturing problems. The drug works by mimicking the action of gut hormones, stimulating insulin production and slowing down food movement from the stomach to help people feel fuller for longer. While people in clinical trials have reported experiencing nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea compared to those who took a placebo injection, tirzepatide and other drugs in its class have shown substantial weight loss benefits.

Another similar drug, semaglutide, marketed as Wegovy for weight loss and Ozempic for diabetes, has also been approved as a weight loss medication for overweight adults with at least one associated health problem since 2021. However, it too experienced a shortage last year, causing doctors to prescribe other diabetes medications off-label for weight loss.

In fact, Eli Lilly aims to begin a study this week that will compare Mounjaro to Wegovy head-to-head in 700 participants at 61 sites in the United States and Canada. The study will conclude in February 2025. With more and more tools in the weight loss toolbox, doctors are hopeful that these medications will help patients achieve the outcomes they have been hoping for.