In a head-to-head clinical trial, people who took Eli Lilly’s weight loss medication Zepbound lost more weight than those on Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, the company said in a news release on Wednesday.
Lilly funded the study, which compares the two competing weight loss medications in the first randomized, controlled clinical trial. Prior research has demonstrated that Zipbound is more effective than Wegovy for weight loss; however, because previous studies relied on retrospective analysis, they were not regarded as accurate comparisons.
The results of Lilly’s experiment showed that after 72 weeks, patients who received weekly injections of Zepbound lost an average of 20.2% of their body weight, or 50.3 pounds, while those who received Wegovy dropped an average of 13.7%, or 33.1 pounds.
According to Lilly, this indicates that Zepbound offers 47% greater weight loss than Wegovy.
While Zepbound was more effective than Wegovy in reducing weight, both medications are very effective, according to Dr. Susan Spratt, an endocrinologist and senior medical director for the Population Health Management Office at Duke Health in North Carolina.
According to Spratt, the amount of weight loss with both is incredible.
The results from Wednesday’s news release have not yet been made available for peer assessment. According to Lilly, the findings will be presented at a medical conference the following year.
“In combination with diet and exercise, Wegovy is the only obesity medicine proven to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as death, heart attack, or stroke,” a Novo Nordisk spokesman said in a statement, highlighting the heart-healthy benefits of the medication.
The findings were based on 751 adults who were randomly assigned to receive one of the two highest dosages of either Wegovy or Zepbound throughout the United States, including Puerto Rico. People were either obese or overweight.
Both Zepound and Wegovy’s most frequently reported adverse effects, according to Eli Lilly, were gastrointestinal in nature and “generally mild to moderate in severity.”
The adverse effects of Zepbound and Wegovy are essentially the same, according to gastroenterologist Dr. Christopher McGowan, who operates a weight loss clinic in North Carolina. However, his patients generally report that Zepbound works better for them.
Gastrointestinal issues, such as nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain, might be side effects of the medications.
Tirzepatide, the active component of Zepbound, is also present in Lilly’s diabetic medication Mounjaro. Semaglutide, which is also present in Novo Nordisk’s diabetes medication Ozempic, is an ingredient in Wegovy.
Both operate similarly: The GLP-1 medications work by imitating a hormone that lowers hunger and food consumption.
Nevertheless, tirzepatide also mimics a second hormone, GIP, which is believed to enhance the body’s breakdown of fat and sugar in addition to decreasing appetite.
According to Spratt, she would like to see additional research that links the medications to health outcomes other than weight loss.
For instance, it has been demonstrated that Wegovy lowers the risk of heart disease in obese or overweight individuals. It has been demonstrated that Zepbound may be used to treat obstructive sleep apnea.
Although I don’t believe that was the trial’s goal, Spratt stated that it will be crucial in determining which medication to suggest.
According to McGowan, patients take into account other factors besides weight loss.
According to him, the majority of patients who seek GLP-1 treatment decide on the best option for them based on factors including price, accessibility, and insurance coverage. Nowadays, only few patients have the ability to choose.
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