Eli Lilly has announced promising results from its latest clinical trial, showing that Zepbound is more effective than Wegovy in maintaininglong-term weight loss. Based on the data from the SURMOUNT-5 clinical trial, Zepbound produced significantly greater weight loss compared to Wegovy, which makes it a potentially better treatment for obesity management.
The patients receiving Zepbound recorded more prominent weight loss at 20% in comparison to Wegovy which accounted for 14%. Besides, at least a reduction of 25% body weight was recorded in 31% of the subjects taking Zepbound whereas it was 16% among patients using Wegovy. The subjects in the study using Zepbound on average lost approximately 50 pounds, while on Wegovy, they recorded losing an approximate amount of 33 pounds.
The study lasted 72 weeks and involved 751 participants from the United States and Puerto Rico, all of whom were overweight or had obesity, alongside other health conditions such as hypertension, sleep apnea, or cardiovascular disease. None of the participants had diabetes.
It was shown that the uniqueness of its formulation in relation to affecting two hormone receptors, which is not present with Wegovy and has only one activating receptor, is a determinant of Zepbound success.“It makes both GLP-1 and GIP receptors activated by Zepbound, causingbetter satiety and slower digestion, thereby leading to a greater loss in weight,” said Dr. Mir Ali, bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center in California.
Though such findings are in agreement with previous studies, resultsfind significance for healthcare providers as well as patients with regardto decisions pertaining to fat loss treatments.
Although Zepbound demonstrated stronger results, experts remain cautious because access to weight loss drugs remains a significant challenge for most patients. Dr. Dan Azagury, chief of Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery at Stanford University, noted the challenge that has to do with insurance coverage and scarcity of these medications. He made it clear that whether the patient is using Zepbound or Wegovy, getting access to these medications is the first step to tackle the issue of obesity and health concerns.
Both physicians agree that, whichever the selected drug, any weight loss medication is long-term in nature. Zepbound and others similar are injected once a week; while these greatly help to reduce weight, the best outcome can only be achieved with the right combination of healthy dieting and exercising.
Dr. Ali emphasised that patients should be aware that these medications work best when they are gradually increased to higher doses, which may take time before visible results are seen. Furthermore, many people may experience weight regain if they stop using the drugs. Azagury added that most patients may need to take these medications indefinitely to prevent weight gain.
All the above medications work by simulating the action of GLP-1, an gut hormone which inhibits hunger. Tirzepatide is included in Zepbound and Mounjaro, thus indicating they are used for managing weight and type 2 diabetes treatment respectively while Wegovy and Ozempic, using semaglutide are aimed at the same effects. Long-termbenefits of all of them are tremendous, including lowered possibilitiesof developing cardiovascular diseases as well as cancer, improvementof conditions such as sleep apnea, and rheumatoid arthritis.
With the demand for weight loss medication increasing, Zepbound‘s clinical trial results has added more fuel to the debate of its being a better long-term solution compared to Wegovy. Using Eli Lilly‘s new data and expert insights, patients as well as healthcare providers are now in a better position to make choices as well as understand what would best fit them in terms of their treatment.
