From the Guidelines
Tirzepatide is the most effective medication for obesity management in adults, with a mean weight loss of 20.9% at 72-week follow-up, and should be considered as the first-line treatment for obesity. The medication is a synthetic peptide with dual-hormone agonistic activity at the GLP-1 receptor and the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide receptor, dosed subcutaneously once weekly 1. Some key points about tirzepatide include:
- It was FDA approved for treatment of obesity in November 2023 1
- A recent meta-analysis of RCTs reported that 15 mg weekly of tirzepatide was associated with greater weight loss compared with 2.4 mg weekly of subcutaneous semaglutide and 3 mg daily of subcutaneous liraglutide 1
- The most common side effects of tirzepatide are not explicitly mentioned in the provided evidence, but it is known that GLP-1 receptor agonists can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation
- The medication should be stored in the refrigerator and avoided freezing, and patients should follow proper injection technique
- Tirzepatide represents a significant advancement in metabolic disease treatment due to its effectiveness in improving glycemic control and producing substantial weight loss, often superior to other GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide 1. The dosing of tirzepatide typically starts at 2.5mg and gradually increases to a maintenance dose of 5mg, 10mg, or 15mg based on patient response and tolerability. Overall, tirzepatide is a highly effective medication for obesity management and should be considered as a first-line treatment option.
From the FDA Drug Label
The FDA drug label does not answer the question.
From the Research
Overview of Tirzepatide
- Tirzepatide is a dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, approved for the treatment of adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and chronic weight management 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
- It is administered as a once-weekly injection and has shown efficacy in reducing HbA1c levels and body weight in patients with T2DM 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
Efficacy of Tirzepatide
- Studies have demonstrated that tirzepatide is effective in reducing HbA1c levels, with mean reductions ranging from 1.02% to 3.02% 2, 4, 5, 6.
- Tirzepatide has also been shown to result in significant weight loss, with mean reductions ranging from 7.3 kg to 8.47 kg 2, 4, 5, 6.
- The efficacy of tirzepatide has been compared to other glucose-lowering therapies, including placebo, semaglutide, insulin degludec, and insulin glargine, and has been found to be superior in reducing HbA1c levels and body weight 3, 4, 5.
Safety of Tirzepatide
- The safety profile of tirzepatide has been evaluated in several studies, and has been found to be generally acceptable 4, 5, 6.
- Common adverse events associated with tirzepatide include gastrointestinal events such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea 3, 4, 5.
- The incidence of hypoglycemia with tirzepatide has been found to be similar to that of placebo and lower than that of basal insulin regimens 4, 5.
- Serious adverse events and mortality have been found to be low with tirzepatide treatment 4, 5, 6.