New data released by manufacturer Eli Lilly suggests Zepbound and Mounjaro are highly effective at preventing type 2 diabetes in those at risk.
Pharmaceutical company Lilly has released the results of the longest completed trial of tirzepatide — the active ingredient in Zepbound and Mounjaro — to date, sharing that findings suggest the drug reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 94% in adults with pre-diabetes who were obesity or overweight.
The results come from the SURMOUNT-1 three-year study, which evaluated the efficacy and safety of once-weekly tirzepatide injections for long-term weight management and delaying progression to diabetes in adults with these risk factors.
The company released early results from the study after 72 weeks, which were published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2022.
At the time, results showed that tirzepatide was effective at helping patients with obesity lose significant weight, and the latest results tell a similar story. According to Lilly, tirzepatide resulted in sustained weight loss throughout the treatment period, averaging a 22.9% decrease in body weight with the 15 mg dose at end of treatment.
The study was conducted on 1,032 adults who had pre-diabetes and were obese or overweight for a period of 176 weeks, followed by a 17-week off-treatment period. Compared to those who received a placebo, patients who received weekly injections of the drug showed a 94% reduction in the risk of progression to type 2 diabetes.
During the off-treatment period, those who stopped taking tirzepatide began to regain weight and had some increase in the progression to type 2 diabetes, resulting in an 88% reduction in the risk of progression to type 2 diabetes compared to placebo.
The company said the overall safety and tolerability profile of tirzepatide throughout the study was consistent with the previously published primary results and other tirzepatide clinical studies conducted for chronic weight management.
The most frequently reported adverse events were typically gastrointestinal-related, including diarrhea, nausea, constipation, and vomiting.
"Obesity is a chronic disease that puts nearly 900 million adults worldwide at an increased risk of other complications such as type 2 diabetes," said Jeff Emmick, MD, PhD, senior vice president of product development at Lilly, in a statement. "These data reinforce the potential clinical benefits of long-term therapy for people living with obesity and pre-diabetes."
The results demonstrate that tirzepatide — a GLP-1 antagonist similar to semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic — is effective at causing weight loss and preventing type 2 diabetes, but long-term use is required.
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