Tirzepatide Approved for Weight Loss: What to Know

Key Takeaways

Tirzepatide is available under the brand name Mounjaro for adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The FDA has also approved tirzepatide, under the brand name Zepbound, for treating obesity.
You may be eligible to take tirzepatide injection if you are obese or overweight with at least one weight-related complication such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, or obstructive sleep apnea.
Tirzepatide may not be safe for people with chronic kidney disease or diabetic retinopathy and is linked to an increased risk of medullary thyroid cancer.

In November 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new drug for chronic weight management in adults with obesity called tirzepatide (brand name: Zepbound). Please continue reading to find out how tirzepatide can help you lose weight.

Is tirzepatide the same as Ozempic?

No, tirzepatide is not the same as Ozempic. While these medications may fall under the same umbrella of weight management therapy, they all have significant distinctions.

Ozempic is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 receptor agonist). Tirzepatide is a glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. While the mechanism of Zepbound (tirzepatide) sounds similar to those of Ozempic and Wegovy since they all mimic the body hormones that promote satiety, tirzepatide’s dual hormone mechanism makes it different from Ozempic and Wegovy.

Ozempic is a brand name product for the generic medication semaglutide injection; it is used to treat type-2 diabetes mellitus. Semaglutide is also sold under the brand name Wegovy for chronic weight management. Wegovy and Ozempic come in different strengths and dosing regimens.

Tirzepatide is a generic medication that is available under the brand name Mounjaro to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The FDA has also approved tirzepatide, under the brand name Zepbound, for treating obesity. Unlike Ozempic and Wegovy, there’s no difference between Mourjano and Zepbound except for their names.

Is tirzepatide available for weight loss?

Yes, in November 2023, the FDA approved tirzepatide for obesity management. This drug is sold under the brand name Zepbound and is made by Eli Lilly and Company. Tirzepatide is already approved under the trade name Mounjaro to improve blood glucose levels in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This medication should be used along with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.

Can I take tirzepatide?

You may be eligible to take tirzepatide injection (Zepbound) for the treatment of obesity or overweight if you are an adult and the following is applicable:

Obese: having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kilograms per square meter (kg/ m2) or higher.

OR,

Overweight: having a body mass index of 27 kg/m2 or higher)

AND,

Having at least one weight-related complication such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, or obstructive sleep apnea.

Zepbound is administered once weekly by subcutaneous injection (under the skin). The recommended initial dose is 2.5 mg subcutaneously weekly. The dose can be increased to 5 mg weekly after having been on 2.5 mg weekly for 4 weeks. The recommended maintenance dose is 5 mg, 10 mg, or 15 mg once weekly. Your healthcare provider will manage the dosing based on your response to therapy and the side effects’ tolerability. The maximum dose of tirzepatide (Zepbound) is 15 mg once a week.

Note: This drug helps in weight reduction when used with consistent lifestyle intervention consisting of a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity. Weight management therapy such as Zepbound may have different levels of effectiveness on different people; the achievement of more significant weight loss may also correlate with intensive lifestyle modification.

How successful is tirzepatide for weight loss?

Studies measured weight reduction and found that tirzepatide can lead to average weight reductions of 15-20% from baseline body weight. So, if you weigh 230 pounds at the start of treatment, you may be able to lose 35-45 pounds after 72 weeks on tirzepatide.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial enrolled 2,539 adults with an average baseline body weight of 105 kg (231 pounds) and an average body mass index (BMI) of 38. The participants were assigned to four groups (3 different doses of tirzepatide and a placebo group). They were followed for 72 weeks. The results were as follows:

Weekly tirzepatide 5 mg: -15.0% weight reduction from baseline weight
Weekly tirzepatide 10 mg: -19.5% weight reduction from baseline weight
Weekly tirzepatide 15 mg: -20.9% weight reduction from baseline weight
Placebo: -3.1% weight reduction from baseline weight

Note: Even body weight reductions of 5-10% from baseline body weight in obese or overweight individuals can result in big benefits, including improvements in systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. This can lower the risk of chronic conditions such as hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disease, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

Do you gain weight after stopping tirzepatide?

You may regain some weight after stopping tirzepatide. Clinical trials conducted by Eli Lilly and Company, the manufacturer of tirzepatide (Zepbound), have shown that continuing to take the drug can help with weight loss maintenance.

The Surmount Clinical Development Program (Surmount-4 trial) enrolled 783 adults with obesity or overweight who did not have diabetes. All the participants took tirzepatide for 36 weeks. Some participants continued taking it for an additional 52 weeks (for a total of 88 weeks) and had an average weight loss of 26.0% from baseline. Participants in the treatment discontinuation group were treated with tirzepatide for 36 weeks and placebo for 52 weeks and regained some weight but maintained an average weight loss of 9.5% from baseline at 88 weeks. There were no unexpected adverse events during the treatment regimen.

What are the side effects of tirzepatide?

Common side effects of tirzepatide include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, upset stomach, and loss of appetite. These gastrointestinal adverse events are the most frequently reported adverse events with tirzepatide use.

Rarely, tirzepatide can cause more serious adverse events, such as a serious allergic reaction. You should call your doctor immediately or seek emergency medical care if you develop a skin rash, hives, itching, or trouble swallowing or breathing.

Other adverse effects of tirzepatide for which you should seek immediate medical care are persistent abdominal pain that may radiate to the back and may or may not be accompanied by vomiting.

Tirzepatide can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Call your doctor immediately or seek emergency medical help if you develop signs and symptoms such as dizziness, fast heartbeat, sweating, shaking, irritability, anxiety, nervousness, confusion, or excessive hunger.

What are the risks of chronic weight management with tirzepatide?

Tirzepatide has been linked to an increased risk of thyroid cancer, including medullary thyroid carcinoma (thyroid C-cell tumors). Before starting treatment with tirzepatide for weight reduction, tell your doctor if you have a personal or family history of thyroid cancer or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome (MEN syndrome).

What other drugs can help with body weight reduction?

If you have not been successful in losing weight through diet and exercise, your healthcare provider may recommend taking a weight-loss drug for treatment of obesity or overweight and weight-related comorbidities. Prescription weight-loss drugs can result in a statistically significant reduction in body weight compared to baseline and lower your risk of chronic disease.

The following medications are FDA-approved for long-term use for weight reduction:

Orlistat (Xenical, Alli)
Bupropion-naltrexone (Contrave)
Phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia)
Setmelanotide (Imcivree)
Liraglutide (Saxenda)
Semaglutide (Wegovy)

Takeaway

Tirzepatide (Zepbound) is the newest weight-loss drug approved by the U.S. FDA in November 2023. Double-blind placebo controlled trials have shown that this drug, originally developed for diabetes care, can result in significant weight loss in obese or overweight individuals when used along with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity. However, tirzepatide may not be safe for people with chronic kidney disease or diabetic retinopathy and is linked to an increased risk of medullary thyroid cancer. Your healthcare provider will help you decide if tirzepatide (Zepbound) is right for you.

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