Diabetes drug Tirzepatide been found to bolster weight loss for a sustained period of time regardless of a patient’s body mass index (BMI), new research has found.
The study, which will be presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity in Venice, was lead by Professor Carel Le Roux from the University College Dublin and Dr Louis J Aronne, Director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center.
Tirzepatide, a medication used to treat type 2 diabetes, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration under the name Zepbound for chronic weight management in adults with a BMI in the categories of “obese” and “overweight”.
In this latest study, researchers conducted randomised controlled trials in patients with or without type 2 diabetes who had a high BMI with at least one weight-related comorbidity.
They then studied the injectable drug with a placebo across four BMI subgroups, finding that patients who were treated with tirzepatide over a period between 72 and 88 weeks underwent significant weight loss in conjunction with diet and exercise.
Additionally, they found the amount of time a participant had been obese or overweight did not impact on the degree to which the drug assisted in weight loss.
“Regardless of baseline BMI, tirzepatide consistently reduced body weight versus placebo in people with obesity across the SURMOUNT 1-4 trials,” said Aronne.
“Further analyses are needed to explore and understand why patients with type 2 diabetes have less weight loss in these trials than those without type 2 diabetes.”
Although the study is yet to be peer-reviewed, Le Roux said the results were promising.
“Tirzepatide is one of the most effective treatments we have for the disease of obesity, and not only can we control the disease but we are also able to disrupt the complications of obesity such as type 2 diabetes,” he said.
