Eli Lilly Says Its New Weight-Loss Drug, Zepbound, Is Now Available
By Physician’s Briefing Staff HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, Dec. 6, 2023 -- Eli Lilly has announced that its newly approved weight-loss medication, Zepbound, is now available for patients to take.
"Today opens another chapter for adults living with obesity who have been looking for a new treatment option like Zepbound," Rhonda Pacheco, group vice president of Lilly Diabetes and Obesity, U.S., said in a company news release. "The availability of Zepbound in U.S. pharmacies is the first step, but we have to work hand-in-hand with employers, government, and health care industry partners to remove barriers and make Zepbound available to those who need it."
It was only last month when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Zepbound as a weight-loss medication. Tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Zepbound, had already been approved by the FDA as a treatment for type 2 diabetes under the name Mounjaro.
To trigger weight loss, tirzepatide mimics two hormones, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide. The Novo Nordisk weight-loss medication, Wegovy, uses semaglutide, which only focuses on GLP-1. That difference translated to greater weight loss with Zepbound than Wegovy, a recent study showed. Zepbound has been found to prompt up to a 20.9 percent drop in weight at higher doses, while Wegovy patients typically see a 15 percent reduction in weight.
According to the FDA, the most common side effects of Zepbound include nausea, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea. The drug's label will also have warnings about the potential for inflammation of the pancreas, gallbladder problems, low blood sugar, acute kidney injury, damage to the retina in people with type 2 diabetes, and suicidal behavior or thinking.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted December 2023
Read this next
Small Differences in Weight Change With First-Line Antidepressants
MONDAY, July 1, 2024 -- For eight first-line antidepressants, small differences are seen in mean weight change, with the least weight gain with bupropion, according to a study...
Bariatric Surgery Tied to Lower Risk of MACE, Death in Obesity, Sleep Apnea
FRIDAY, June 28, 2024 -- Metabolic surgery is associated with significantly lower risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) compared with nonsurgical management among...
Exercise + GLP-1 RA Effective for Weight Loss While Preserving BMD
THURSDAY, June 27, 2024 -- For adults with obesity, without diabetes, combining exercise with the glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA), liraglutide, is effective...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.