Weight-loss drug users able to sustain benefits for three years, trial suggests

People who use the drug Mounjaro are able to sustain their weight loss for three years, data from a trial has suggested.

- Nicola Davis

Mounjaro, dubbed the "King Kong" of weight loss drugs, contains tirzepatide and is self-administered in a once-a-week injection.

It works by mimicking two hormones, called GLP-1 and GIP, resulting in appetite suppression, increased production of insulin, greater insulin sensitivity and a reduction in the rate at which food is emptied from the stomach. The medication is available for weight loss to some people on the NHS but it can be purchased privately with a prescription.

Now scientists at Eli Lilly, the company that makes Mounjaro, and academic researchers have released two analyses of data from a three-year trial known as Surmount-1, throwing fresh light on longer-term use. One analysis looked at weight loss trajectories, the second rebound after initial weight reduction.

The results, which are to be presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Malaga next month and have yet to be peer reviewed, are based on data from about 700 participants who took tirzepatide in three different dose regimens during the 176-week study. All had obesity or overweight as well as prediabetes.