Weight loss jabs: New study reveals which drug better combats obesity

A new medical study has found certain weight loss drugs are more effective than others when it comes to shedding kilos.

People using tirzepatide are “far more likely” to lose significant weight compared to those on semaglutide, according to the results of a major head-to-head study published in an American medical journal.

Overweight or obese adults were three times more likely to shed 15 per cent of their body weight on tirzepatide, with the trade name Mounjaro than the semaglutide, sold as Ozempic, according to a study published in the peer-reviewed journal JAMA Internal Medicine.

“To our knowledge, this study represents the first clinical comparative effectiveness study of tirzepatide and semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity,” researchers from the health-care analytics firm Truveta wrote in their findings.

Truveta researchers analysed electronic health records of over 18,000 adults with overweight or obesity who used these medications in real-world settings from May 2022 to September 2023.

Some weight loss drugs are more effective than others.

By three months, tirzepatide patients shed 5.9 per cent of their body weight versus 3.6 per cent for those on semaglutide. At six months, the mean weight loss was 10.1 per cent on tirzepatide and 5.8 per cent on semaglutide.

At the end of the first year, tirzepatide users had dropped 15.3 per cent of their body weight, while semaglutide patients lost 8.3 per cent.

Eli Lilly produces tirzepatide under the brand names Mounjaro for diabetes and Zepbound for chronic weight management, while Novo Nordisk manufactures semaglutide as Ozempic for diabetes and Wegovy for weight management.

Both tirzepatide and semaglutide mimic the actions of the gut hormone GLP-1, stimulating insulin production, slowing stomach emptying, and signalling the brain to regulate appetite.

The study looked only at the doses to treat type 2 diabetes.

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The diabetic drugs have skyrocketed in popularity.

About half of the people who were included in the study had type 2 diabetes, while the other half had no indication of a diabetes diagnosis in their health records and were probably using these medications off-label for weight management at their doctor’s discretion.

According to the new study, individuals with type 2 diabetes had less significant weight loss than those without a diagnosis — but average weight loss was still greater among those taking tirzepatide.

However, the researchers didn’t track any of the mild gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea and vomiting, noting that these types of complaints might not be captured in patient records consistently.

They did find that the risk of more serious adverse outcomes, such as bowel obstruction, gastroparesis or pancreatitis, were similar among those taking tirzepatide and semaglutide.

Researchers said along with the side effects, people who didn’t lose weight while taking these medications may be more likely to stop or switch drugs.

The study authors also noted that most of the patients in their study discontinued the medicine, which affected their weight loss.

Over the past couple of years, the skyrocketing popularity of the diabetic drugs has seen Australians admitted into emergency over their misuse.

Novo Nordisk recently advised Australia’s medicines watchdog TGA that Ozempic supply will remain limited for the rest of 2024.

The TGA has warned the weight loss company to not initiate new patients on Ozempic unless there are no suitable alternatives or there is a compelling clinical reason to do so.