The Food and Drug Administration approved using Eli Lilly’s diabetes drug Mounjaro for weight loss
The obesity medication will be marketed under the name Zepbound and contains tirzepatide, the same active ingredient in the diabetes drug Mounjaro. The approval makes it the second in a new class of drugs to receive the agency’s OK as an obesity treatment. The drug will have a list price of $1,060, which is about 20% less than Novo Nordisk’s rival drug Wegovy.
Like semaglutide, the compound in Ozempic and Wegovy, tirzepatide (the compound in Zepbound) slows down the emptying of the stomach. People feel fuller, quicker and for longer. All three drugs also target the area of the brain that regulates appetite. But Ozempic has NOT received FDA approval for weight loss yet.
Semaglutide simulates a single hormone in the body, while tirzepatide mimics two, which experts say may be why it’s often more effective at triggering weight loss. In a 72-week clinical trial, funded by Eli Lilly, participants with obesity taking the highest dose of tirzepatide lost around 18 percent of their body weight on average.
According to Lilly, people with commercial insurance whose plan covers Zepbound may be eligible to pay as little as $25 for a one-month or three-month prescription. Those without coverage may be eligible to pay $550 for a one-month supply via a savings card program.