Debate over ‘20% weight loss’ diabetes drug as a rule-shifter in the fight against obesity

A trial has found that a “game-changing” diabetes drug can help obese people shed up to 20% of their body weight.

A study of 2,539 overweight and obese participants who did not have diabetes found that a weekly dose of tirzepatide could lead to significant weight loss when used in conjunction with diet and exercise.

The international research team divided the volunteers into four groups, and over 72 weeks they were given three different doses of tirzepatide or a placebo.
The group that took the highest dose – 15 mg – lost significant weight, according to the study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. 57% of them lost 20% of their body weight.

Obesity experts told the Guardian that tirzepatide is a “game changer”, but they cautioned about side effects such as vomiting and diarrhea, and said the weight could be regained once people stopped taking it.

Dr Anya Gastropov, from Yale University and lead author of the research, said: “We must treat obesity as we would treat any chronic disease – through effective and safe approaches that target the underlying disease mechanisms – and these findings confirm that tirzepatide may do just that.”

But Tom Sanders, professor emeritus of nutrition and dietetics at King’s College London, said there were also concerns about the drug’s effects on the pancreas.

He added, “This class of medication only serves to provide participants with the prescribed reduced-calorie diet along with the medication so that it is not a magic bullet.”