Study suggests tirzepatide has a positive impact on blood sugar levels and hunger
Tirzepatide is the first drug in a new family of drugs that target two hormones: glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP). These hormones are involved in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels and sending signals from your gut to your brain when you’re full.
In May, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved tirzepatide to help people with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar. The treatment for diabetes is called ‘Munjaro’.
The FDA says direct clinical trials have shown that tirzepatide is more effective in this setting at controlling blood sugar and promoting weight loss in people with type 2 diabetes than semaglutide (Ozempic), an injected GLP-1 receptor agonist, or two commonly used types of insulin.
In this early study, tirzepatide reduced so-called hemoglobin A1C levels, which reflect average blood sugar levels over about three months, by 0.5 percent more than semaglutide and about 1 percent more than insulin, the FDA said.
The FDA noted that 15 mg of tirzepatide helped obese patients with type 2 diabetes lose 12 pounds more than semaglutide and 27 to 29 pounds more than the two types of insulin evaluated.
Questions about the relative effectiveness and price of Tirzepatide Ringer
One drawback of the new trial of tirzepatide for obesity is that it did not directly compare the drug with other treatment options. Hamdi says head-to-head trials of semaglutide and another similar drug, liraglutide, will be needed to confirm whether tirzepatide is indeed the drug of choice for obesity. Hamdi has also received funding from Novo Nordisk, the maker of semaglutide.
Results from the new trial suggest that the highest doses of tirzepatide may be as effective as bariatric surgery, Hamdi noted. But if tirzepatide wins FDA marketing approval, how much patients use the drug may ultimately depend on price.
“Obesity is a serious disease that can lead to many costly complications, including diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease,” Hamdi says. He doesn’t expect tirzepatide to retail for more than $1,300 per month compared to other newer targeted weight-loss drugs like semaglutide (Wegovy) and liraglutide (Saxenda), according to GoodRx pricing, but he doesn’t expect it to be any cheaper.
Clifford Rosen, M.D., a professor at Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston and the Maine Health Research Institute in Scarborough, Maine, says more treatment options are needed because obesity carries a variety of health risks and many patients struggle to lose weight and keep it off. He was not involved in the research and has no financial ties to the company.
“There is nothing wrong with current GLP-1R agonists or other interventions, including bariatric surgery,” Dr. Rosen says. “But if tirzepatide produces the same amount of weight loss as bariatric surgery, it would be a major advance and a good alternative to surgery.”
Eli Lilly did not respond to a request for comment on how quickly the company would seek FDA approval for tirzepatide for obesity.
