Research indicates that a diabetes medication called Mounjaro promotes significant weight loss in overweight and obese individuals. When supplemented with a rigorous regimen of diet and exercise, individuals lost roughly 27 kilograms (60 pounds), constituting a quarter of their total body weight, on average.
Dr. Thomas Wadden, an obesity researcher and psychology professor from the University of Pennsylvania, led the study. His findings suggest that starting the weight loss process before incorporating the drug can result in even more significant weight losses as the treatment progresses. These results present the potential for an exciting new avenue in the fight against obesity.
Experts agree that the findings are promising. “It’s a quarter of your total body weight lost, however you look at it,” remarked Dr. Caroline Apovian, an obesity specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital who was not involved in the study.
Tirzepatide, the primary medicinal component in Mounjaro, was approved in the U.S in May 2022 to treat diabetes. It has also been used “off-label” to treat obesity, joining other popular weight-loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy by Novo Nordisk.
Tirzepatide operates by targeting two hormones that become activated post-consumption, regulating appetite, and mediating the sensation of satisfaction between the gut and the brain. This method differentiates from Ozempic and Wegovy, which only target one of these hormones.
The study enrolled about 800 overweight individuals with a weight-related health complication, but not diabetes. After three months of intensive diet and exercise, approximately 600 people remained and were given weekly injections of either tirzepatide or a placebo for a duration of about 16 months.
Nearly 500 participants completed the trial, which proved highly promising. Those receiving the drug lost a further 18.4% of their initial body weight, averaging an additional loss of 20 kilograms, or 44 pounds.
Of the trial participants, approximately 88% of those on tirzepatide lost 5% or more of their body weight, compared to almost 17% on placebo. Nearly 29% lost at least a quarter of their total body weight, a statistic that far outweighs the less than 2% statistic of the placebo recipients.
Aside from exhibiting an efficacy comparable to bariatric surgery, the drug does present some side-effects. More than 10% of recipients opted out of the drug trial due to mild to moderate side effects that included nausea, diarrhea, and constipation.
Drug manufacturer Eli Lilly intends to release additional studies backing up these encouraging weight loss percentages. Meanwhile, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has fast-tracked a review for use of the drug to treat obesity, which Eli Lilly may market under a different brand name. A decision is anticipated before the year’s end.
