Finding effective and safe drugs that can tackle obesity — achieving a substantial amount of weight loss without serious side effects — has proved challenging to date. In the United States, Wegovy (semaglutide), a once-weekly injection, was approved by the FDA in June 2021. The same drug, at a lower dose and known as Ozempic had also been approved in January 2020 for improving glucose regulation in diabetes. The latest drug on fast track for imminent approval at the FDA is tirzepatide (Mounjaro), following its approval for diabetes in May 2022.
Both of these drugs have undergone randomized, placebo-controlled trials for obesity, with marked reduction of weight being achieved: Tirzepatide, at dose of 10 to 15 mg per week, achieved >20% body weight reduction while Semaglutide, at a dose of 2.4 mg per week achieved a ~17% reduction.
Furthermore, both drugs have achieved other very favorable effects, including the reduction of blood pressure and – in randomized trials among people with Type 2 diabetes – an HbA1c reduction of at least 2 percentage points.
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