The drug, hailed as the King Kong of weight loss jabs, has been found to help slim people lose almost a fifth of their body weight.
Tirzepatide was recommended last month by the National Institute for Medical Research Excellence for patients with type 2 diabetes who cannot tolerate the drug metformin.
But the once-weekly injections that suppress appetite are also seen as a key tool in the fight against obesity, with US expert Dr Giulio Rosenstock calling it a “gorilla” for another weight semaglutide. They called this drug “King Kong” in comparison to – loss drug.
This study shows that tirzepatide may be of great help in maintaining a slim figure.
According to the study, the jab was given to 287 people who had successfully lost at least five per cent of their body weight through diet and exercise, but typically gained a third of their weight back.
However, after taking tirzepatide for a year, lean people lost an additional 18.4 percent of their weight on average.
Professor Thomas Wadden of the University of Pennsylvania, who led the study, said: “Thin people often hit a wall once they lose 5 to 10 percent of their body weight and can’t keep it up anymore, but this drug significantly reduces weight loss. “It could help reduce it.”
“We also found that this drug lowers blood pressure and cholesterol levels and helps control blood sugar levels.”
The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine and presented at ObesityWeek 2023, the Obesity Society’s annual meeting, began with 806 people undergoing a three-month weight loss program.
Of the 806 people, 579 had lost at least 5% of their body weight and were eligible to start receiving the weekly jab.
The researchers then compared patients who received tirzepatide with those who received a dummy injection.
On average, patients who received tirzepatide lost nearly one-fifth of their additional body weight, while those who did not received tirzepatide gained 2.5%.
According to the study, people who received tirzepatide lost about 15 centimeters (6 inches) from their waistlines. The study also includes researchers from pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, which manufactures tirzepatide and is funding the trial.
These results were obtained four months after administering the full dose of the tripeptide and one year after administering the tripeptide gradually to reduce the side effects of nausea, diarrhea, and constipation.
After making lifestyle changes and losing weight, people using the jab lost an average of 24.3 per cent of their starting weight in total.
But critics claim weight-loss jabs carry the risk of side effects and may have to be taken for life.
