Millions of people with diabetes could see life-changing results from an “incredible” new drug, researchers suggested today.
Tirzepatide works by mimicking hormones that help both control blood sugar levels and suppress appetite, helping people lose weight.
It has already been shown to be more effective than other similar drugs, including those offered on the NHS.
However, new data due to be presented at a medical conference also reveal that it works up to 12 weeks earlier.
A scientist involved in the analysis said that a once-a-week jab produced results “more than anything else currently available.”
Tirzepatide mimics hormones in the body that help people feel full and satisfied after eating.
These are often at low levels in obese patients, who tend to make up the majority of people with type 2 diabetes.
In addition to helping people feel fuller, this drug also works by helping the body avoid sugar clashes, rid the body of excess sugar, and stop the liver from making and releasing too much sugar. Helps control diabetes.
Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to blindness and leave patients in need of limb amputation and coma.
Scientists hail ‘incredible’ weight loss and diabetes control results from clinical trials of tirzepatide marketed under the brand name Munjaro
Just as obesity rates have skyrocketed over the past few decades, so has type 2 diabetes.
Figures suggest that about 5 million people in the UK and 29 million people in the US have the condition.
There are currently drugs to combat the condition, but new analyzes show that tirzepatide, marketed under the brand name Mounjaro and manufactured by US pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, offers patients better, faster improvement. suggesting that it is possible.
The new data are from two studies comparing doses of 5mg, 10mg or 15mg to two different existing drugs.
The dose of tirzepatide was increased by 2.5 mg every 4 weeks until the desired strength was achieved and then maintained throughout the study period of approximately 1 year.
One trial enrolled approximately 1,500 people with type 2 diabetes.
Participants in this trial were randomly assigned to receive either weekly or daily insulin injections of tirzepatide at three different doses.
Another trial compared three doses of tirzepatide to another weekly weight loss and diabetes jab called semaglutide.1,800 participants participated.
Patients receiving tirzepatide reached the important glycemic control milestone of hemoglobin A1c levels <7% on average four weeks earlier than those receiving semaglutide.
It was also superior to daily insulin jabs, with tirzepatide participants recording hemoglobin A1c levels less than 6.5% 12 weeks earlier.
Similar findings were recorded for weight loss in the semaglutide trial.
People who took 10 mg and 15 mg of tirzepatide lost 5% of their total body weight after 12 weeks.
This was half the time compared to semaglutide in participants.
Lead author of the analysis, Dr Adie Viljoen, a consultant metabolologist and chemical pathologist at the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, said tirzepatide produced “incredible” results.
“The speed of glucose lowering and weight loss that we’re seeing is beyond what we currently have available,” he said.
“Adults with type 2 diabetes are better positioned to prevent long-term complications.
“Even a modest weight loss of 5% of initial body weight is associated with clinically significant improvement in weight-related health problems in many individuals.
“It’s pretty amazing that people with type 2 diabetes can achieve these health improvements in about half the time.”
But it’s important to remember that injections are not a silver bullet and should be used in conjunction with diet and exercise, he added.
Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body doesn’t produce enough insulin, or when the insulin it does doesn’t work properly, resulting in high blood sugar levels.
It can lead to serious health problems such as heart disease, increased risk of stroke, kidney problems, eye disease, and nerve damage.
Unlike hereditary type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes is primarily caused by obesity. It is also reversible with a healthy lifestyle.
Tirzepatide mimics two hormones in the body called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP).
GLP-1 receptor agonists have been in use for nearly a decade and have revolutionized type 2 diabetes treatment.
Participants in clinical trials reported experiencing nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea as side effects from taking tirzepatide, but these were most frequently reported when the dose was increased.
The drug is currently approved as a prescription diabetes drug in the United States, but it is speculated that Eli Lilly will seek approval for use as a weight loss drug.
A four-week course reportedly costs around £843 ($975) and is currently not approved for use in the UK.
The authors of the latest analysis point to some limitations of the study, such as the clinical trial was not specifically designed to compare rates of glycemic control and weight loss between drugs, so the results should be interpreted with caution. need to do it.
The analysis, funded by Eli Lilly, will be presented at the European Diabetes Congress in Sweden, September 19-23.
