Ozempic may no longer be the top weight-loss drug, as new research shows Zepbound leads to significantly greater fat and weight reduction. Experts point to its dual-receptor targeting for superior results.
United States: Even though Ozempic is well-known for drugs that help with weight loss, it’s not the only drug that can do this.
It seems that it might not be the top option for losing weight. Research that was published in The New England Journal of Medicine noted that people taking tirzepatide (Zepbound) had greater weight loss than those using semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy).
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It’s necessary to mention that the company that makes Zepbound provided the funding for the study.
Not surprisingly, these results are what the experts expected. Clearly, if you want to use a weight-loss medication, you may wonder if Zepbound could help you achieve better results.
This study revealed a few points, and here’s what a weight-loss doctor wants you to remember.
For the study, researchers administered the maximum safe dose of either tirzepatide or semaglutide weekly to 751 people with obesity (not having type 2 diabetes) for a period of 72 weeks.
When 72 weeks had passed, participants who received tirzepatide had lost an average of 50 pounds or close to 20.2 percent of their weight.
Ozempic Trails Behind
Semaglutide users lost an average of 13.7 percent of their total body weight, which was about 33 pounds.
People using tirzepatide experienced a greater loss of waist size than those using semaglutide.
As per the conclusion made by the researchers, “Among participants with obesity but without diabetes, treatment with tirzepatide was superior to treatment with semaglutide with respect to reduction in body weight and waist circumference at week 72,” aol.com reported.
In light of the study, Mir Ali, MD, the medical director of the MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center, is not startled.
“Zepbound operates on two receptors that suppress the appetite and slow motility in the gastrointestinal tract—the GLP-1 and GIP receptors,” he noted.
“Semaglutide only affects the GLP-1 receptor.” So, since Zepbound acts on more than one receptor, “it makes sense that it would have a stronger effect on appetite and ultimately work better,” Dr. Ali stated.
Eli Lilly, the same company that makes Mounjaro, is the one behind Zepbound.