Newly FDA- approved weight loss drug Zepbound may be ‘most effective’ ever

The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved Zepbound, a new weight loss drug from drugmaker Eli Lilly that was shown in clinical trials to help people lose up to 52 pounds in 16 months.

Zepbound is the latest entrant into the field of powerful new drugs that already includes Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy and Lilly’s Mounjaro.

The FDA approved the drug for adults with obesity or who are overweight with at least one weight-related condition.

In the United States, 4 in 10 adults have obesity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Zepbound is part of a class of drugs called GLP-1 agonists, which mimic a hormone that helps reduce food intake and appetite. However, Zepbound also imitates a second hormone, called GIP, which — along with reducing appetite — may also improve how the body breaks down sugar and fat.

Zepbound shares the same active ingredient — tirzepatide — as Lilly’s popular diabetes medication Mounjaro.

In a phase 3 clinical trial, the new injectable led to an average weight loss of 22.5%, or about 52 pounds, surpassing all currently available weight loss medications on the market. The participants in the study had obesity or were overweight with at least one weight-related condition.

“This is the most effective form of pharmaceutical obesity treatment ever,” said Dr. Christopher McGowan, a gastroenterologist who runs a weight loss clinic in Cary, North Carolina. 

He added that the weight loss seen from the medication is approaching the weight loss seen with bariatric surgery.  

“That is a big deal,” he said.  

When it comes to whether a patient should choose between Lilly’s new drug and Wegovy, McGowan said the key factors to consider are insurance coverage and the patient’s individual response to each treatment.

“When I’m talking to a patient, I’m going to discuss both of them,” he said.

The new drug, like others in its class, comes with side effects including gastrointestinal…