FDA Approves New Weight Loss Medication, Similar to Mounjaro

Another drug has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of chronic obesity in adults.

The agency announced Wednesday that the new weight-loss drug Zepbound — by pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly — is another version of Mounjar, which is already FDA-approved to treat type 2 diabetes but has been used by many people for weight loss.

The two drugs are brand names for tirzepatide, which has been shown to be very effective for weight loss by reducing appetite and improving the way the body breaks down sugar and fat.

Zepbound — which is given by injection into the thigh, abdomen or arm — will be sold as a prescription weight-loss drug to be used “in conjunction with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity,” the FDA says.

“Obesity and overweight are serious conditions that can be linked to some of the leading causes of death such as heart disease, stroke, and diabetes,” Dr. John Sharretts — Director of the FDA’s Center for Diabetes, Lipid Disorders, and Obesity for the evaluation and research of medicines – the press release states. “In light of increasing obesity and overweight rates in the United States, today’s approval addresses an unmet medical need.”

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Preparation for Ozempic injection.

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The FDA notes that Zepbound will be approved for those whose body mass index (BMI) — a widely criticized standard — is 30 or higher, which qualifies them as obese. The drug will also be approved for those with a BMI of 27 with at least one weight-related condition, such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol.

Eli Lilly said Zepbound is expected to be available in the United States by the end of the year, priced at $1,059 without insurance.

Zepbound and Mounjaro are similar to Ozempic and Wegovy — brand names for semaglutide — that work in the brain to affect satiety and have skyrocketed in popularity in Hollywood and beyond for weight loss.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education