Eli Lilly has announced that its Zepbound (tirzepatide) was superior to Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide) across all weight reduction targets in a head-to-head study of the two approved weight loss drugs.
The phase 3b SURMOUNT-5 study has been comparing Zepbound, a dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist, against Wegovy, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, in adults who are obese or overweight with least one weight-related medical problem, but not diabetes.
Data presented at this year’s European Congress on Obesity (ECO) and published in The New England Journal of Medicine showed that patients being treated with Zepbound achieved an average weight reduction of 20.2%, compared to 13.7% with Wegovy at 72 weeks, meeting the trial’s primary endpoint.
Lilly’s drug also demonstrated superiority across all weight reduction targets, with 64.6% of Zepbound-patients achieving at least 15% weight loss versus 40.1% on Wegovy. Additionally, those in the Zepbound cohort achieved a superior average waist circumference reduction of 18.4cm, compared to average reduction of 13cm in the Wegovy group.
Principal investigator, Louis Aronne, said: “Thanks to the latest advancements in obesity management medications, more physicians and patients are witnessing significant weight reduction beyond what they have seen before.
“The SURMOUNT-5 head-to-head results demonstrated [Zepbound] led to greater weight reduction compared to [Wegovy], providing further evidence to support [Zepbound] as an effective option for obesity management.”
Lilly’s tirzepatide is already approved for weight management under the brand name Zepbound in the US and as Mounjaro in some other countries, including the UK, while semaglutide is approved for weight management under the brand name Wegovy.
Novo also presented positive late-stage results for Wegovy at ECO, demonstrating that the drug provided early protection against heart disease in adults aged 45 years and older who were overweight or obese with established cardiovascular disease, and no prior history of diabetes over a period of five years.
Data from the new analysis of the phase 3 SELECT study showed that Wegovy reduced the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, including cardiovascular death and non-fatal heart attacks, by 37% compared to placebo within the first three months.