A revolutionary weight loss drug could get users the effects of bariatric surgery without the permanent changes that it entails. Weight loss supplements have become a big market in recent years. This new drug may soon join the fray. The drug, which is being developed by pharmaceutical company Lilly is called tirzepatide. And, in a recent trial, it delivered up to 22.5 percent weight loss in adults with obesity.
Participants testing a revolutionary weight loss drug lost 55 pounds on average
The results of the most recent trial for tirzepatide are exciting, to say the least. Tirzepatide combines synthetic mimics of two hormones that our bodies naturally release after we eat. These hormones, known as GLP-1 and GIP, provide us with that full feeling you get after eating.
The latest test is a late-stage clinical trial. More than 2,500 people in nine countries participated in the trial. The participants weighed 105 kilograms as an average baseline. Each week, the participants were asked to give themselves low, medium, or high doses of the revolutionary weight loss drug. Some of the participants took a placebo instead.
During the trial, the participants were not told whether they were taking a low, high, or medium or a placebo dose of the revolutionary weight loss drug. They took it for a total of 72 weeks. At the end of those 72 weeks, the participants taking high doses saw the most effective changes. Those taking the highest dosage lost around 53 pounds on average.
Participants taking the smaller doses saw improvements, too. On average, people taking the medium dosage lost 49 pounds. Participants on the lowest dosage saw an average loss of 35 pounds. Of course, like any other weight loss drug, you’ll need to keep up any lifestyle changes you make along the way to keep that weight off.
A possible replacement for bariatric surgery
Weight loss surgeries like gastric bypass and other bariatric surgeries rely on making permanent changes to your digestive system to help you lose weight. With this revolutionary weight loss drug, though, you could get similar results without permanent changes.
Of course, as Lilly notes in its original release of these results, the company doesn’t guarantee these forward-looking statements. And, ultimately, we’ll have to see how this product works in the longer term, and where it fits in weight loss treatments going forward. Still, seeing such amazing results is worth celebrating, especially if they can manage to negate any side effects.
This, of course, isn’t the only revolutionary weight loss drug we’ve seen in recent years. One other drug, known as semaglutide, has seen extraordinary results, and has even been recommended by NICE and approved by the FDA. There have been some side effects with this drug, though, like nausea and diarrhea. However, doctors say building up to larger treatments can help negate that.
If Lilly can do something similar, then we may see tirzepatide finding a place as a replacement for things like bariatric surgery. For now, though, all we can do is revel in the results of this revolutionary weight loss drug.
