Weight Loss Medication with Zepbound: A Co-Trial Study of Eli Lilly’s Influence on Type I Diabetes and Obesity
Zepbound’s approval was based on trials run by Eli Lilly that included 2,539 adults with obesity or excess weight and weight-related medical problems other than diabetes, according to the company. People taking a weightloss medication, like Zepbound, who also made diet and exercise changes, lost more weight than the placebo group. At the highest dose of 15 milligrams, people taking Zepbound lost an average of 48 pounds. At the lowest dose of 5 milligrams, people lost an average of 34. Those taking a placebo lost seven pounds on average.
Lilly’s drug works by acting on two hormones in the brain that regulate appetite and metabolism.
Common side effects from the drug include nausea, diarrhea, constipation and vomiting. The FDA does not know if the drug causes the same kind of tumors in humans.
The FDA’s approval of the new treatment for obesity based on its public health concern and the overlap with Medicare and other health insurance coverage measures
The FDA cited the public health concern over excess weight in announcing the approval. “In light of increasing rates of both obesity and overweight in the United States, today’s approval addresses an unmet medical need,” said Dr. John Sharretts, director of the Division of Diabetes, Lipid Disorders, and Obesity in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. The FDA said 70% of Americans are overweight or obese.
“New treatment options bring hope to the many people with obesity who struggle with this disease,” said Joe Nadglowski, president and CEO of the Obesity Action Coalition, in a statement released by Lilly. He cited a number of life threatening diseases that are related to being overweight.
The actual amount patients would pay would depend on their insurance coverage and potential discounts. For example, insurance coverage for Wegovy varies a lot.
Lilly will give a discount card to the people who have commercial health insurance that does not include coverage for the drug. Lilly said that it could be possible to lower the cost of a prescription of Zepbound to half the list price.
Medicare doesn’t pay for weight-loss drugs. However, Congress is considering measures that would expand insurance access to cover treatments for obesity, including some of the new medications, for Medicare enrollees.
GLP-1 Drugs: Implications and Challenges for Weight Loss and Optimality in the Modern Twenty-Year American Heart Association
Zepbound and Mounjaro are similar to the better-known Wegovy and Ozempic, which are both manufactured by Danish company Novo Nordisk. All of these drugs mimic the GLP-1 hormone in the body. GLP-1 is produced in the gut and lowers blood sugar, and slows the emptying of the stomach. They act on a similar hormones called Gip to reduce food intake.
Although initially developed to treat diabetes, GLP-1 drugs are being used for weight loss. (Wegovy is indicated for weight management and Ozempic for diabetes, although it can be prescribed off-label for weight management as well.) Approximately 70 percent of American adults have obesity or are overweight, and many of those who are overweight have a weight-related health condition.
Thanks to rising demand for these drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy have been on the FDA’s drug shortage list since March 2022. The company tried to limit the amount of new people who could take Wegovy. Patients have to start with a low-dose pen to get the drug, and gradually move up to higher levels. As it works to boost production, the drugmaker has restricted the supply of low-dose injections so it can focus on serving current patients.
Drugmakers are developing pill versions of GLP-1 drugs, which will make them more attractive to patients. And with new data expected to be unveiled at this weekend’s American Heart Association meeting on the cardiovascular benefits of these drugs, demand could surge even more.