...By Alan Peterson for TDPel Media.
According to a recent analysis, a once-a-week obesity jab called tirzepatide, marketed as Mounjaro by Eli Lilly and Company, has demonstrated the ability to help individuals shed substantial amounts of body fat.
While currently approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes by UK regulators, tirzepatide may soon receive approval for obesity as well.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) is evaluating the drug’s potential use within the NHS before making a recommendation.
In the study, presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Dublin, researchers analyzed data from 2,539 overweight or obese adults who had at least one weight-related complication, excluding diabetes.
The participants were divided into groups, with some receiving a placebo and others receiving tirzepatide doses of 5mg, 10mg, or 15mg.
The analysis assessed the proportion of people who experienced weight loss and those who lost over 5% of their body weight across different BMI categories.
After 72 weeks of weekly injections, the average weight loss was 16% for the 5mg dose group, 21% for the 10mg group, and 23% for the 15mg group.
In comparison, the placebo group only experienced a 2% weight loss.
Additionally, a significant proportion of participants in the tirzepatide groups (89% on 5mg, 96% on 10mg, and 96% on 15mg) lost 5% or more of their body weight, while only 28% in the placebo group achieved the same result.
More than half of the participants in the 10mg group (56%) and 15mg group (63%) lost a fifth or more of their body weight, while only 1% in the placebo group achieved this level of weight loss.
Importantly, all doses of tirzepatide resulted in weight loss regardless of the participants’ initial BMI.
Furthermore, the analysis examined the loss of fat mass compared to lean body mass in a subgroup of participants.
The findings showed that approximately three-quarters of the weight lost was fat mass, leading to a significant improvement in body composition.
Dr. Louis Aronne, a consultant to Eli Lilly and presenter of the findings, emphasized the importance of understanding the effect of weight loss on fat mass and lean mass, particularly in older adults.
He highlighted that approximately 75% of the weight lost through tirzepatide treatment was fat mass, which remained consistent across different age groups.
Recent research conducted by Eli Lilly demonstrated that tirzepatide also helps individuals with type 2 diabetes who are overweight or obese lose a significant amount of weight.
Another drug, semaglutide (sold under the brand name Wegovy), has already been approved by Nice for the treatment of obesity within the NHS.
