Is Diabetes drug Mounjaro also effective for weight loss? Nature Medicine Study sheds light!

A recent double-blind, placebo-controlled trial has revealed that Tirzepatide, a glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist, led to a substantial additional weight reduction in individuals who had already achieved ≥5.0% weight loss through intensive lifestyle intervention.

The trial included 579 adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher (or 27 with obesity-related complications) who had managed to shed at least 5% of their initial weight after a 12-week intensive lifestyle intervention. These participants were then randomly assigned to receive tirzepatide or a placebo for 72 weeks.

The results were nothing short of remarkable. The group treated with tirzepatide showed an additional average weight loss of 18.4% compared to the 2.5% weight gain in the placebo group, highlighting an estimated treatment difference of -20.8 percentage points. The percentage of individuals achieving an additional weight reduction of 5% or more was also significantly higher in the tirzepatide group at 87.5% compared to only 16.5% in the placebo group.

Furthermore, the study noted that tirzepatide's side effects were primarily gastrointestinal and mostly mild to moderate in severity, showing that the treatment was generally well-tolerated.

Reference: Wadden, T.A., Chao, A.M., Machineni, S. et al. Tirzepatide after intensive lifestyle intervention in adults with overweight or obesity: the SURMOUNT-3 phase 3 trial. Nat Med (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-023-02597-w