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Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) gets the nod from NICE
The new diabetes drug could also be licensed for weight loss
Katie
September 20, 2023
Mounjaro Logo: Eli Lilly
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WEIGHT LOSS NEWS
Tirzepatide® (Mounjaro®) gets the nod from NICE - The new diabetes drug could also be licensed for weight loss
Think it's all just Wegovy®, Ozempic® and Saxenda® in the weight loss injections race? Think again!
Tirzepatide®, the drug sold under the brand name Mounjaro®, developed by Eli Lilly, has been recommended in guidance issued by NICE on 8th September for treating poorly controlled type 2 diabetes in adults alongside diet and exercise. Tirzepatide® is the latest game-changing drug to be licensed in the UK - and while NO, IT IS NOT YET LICENSED FOR WEIGHT LOSS, this is an important development for the weight loss sector and for weight management more broadly.
The drug was previously rejected by NICE, but new evidence has meant the drug has been approved. Clinical trials showed using tirzepatide resulted in 81% to 97% of people reaching better glucose control and 54% to 88% reaching a 5% or greater reduction in body weight. But in trials specifically looking at its impact on weight one trial found patients using tirzepatide lost 15-20% of their body weight and another found that people who were overweight but did not have diabetes lost 20% loss of body weight on average. The 20% reduction would outperform Semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy) which have been found in trials to support a 15% weight reduction.
Tirzepatide® is innovative in the sense that it works in two ways and it is this combination that gives it the edge over drugs that work in a single way (like Semaglutide®). Semaglutide®, (the drug in Ozempic® and Wegovy®) is a receptor agonist that binds to the natural hormone GLP-1. Tirzepatide® works differently. Tirzepatide® not only binds to GLP-1 (Glucagon-like peptide 1) but also binds to GIP (Glucose-Dependent Insulinotropic peptide meaning it has ‘dual action’ benefits.
Our intestines release hormones GLP-1 and GIP when our blood glucose levels increase after we eat. Both these natural hormones encourage the pancreas to increase the production of insulin, which lowers blood glucose. GLP-1 also moderates how quickly our stomachs empty, determining how long we feel full. The GIP and GLP-1 we produce naturally lasts a few minutes; tirzepatide changes the structure of our naturally occurring hormones so their effects last for days.
So this drug is new, it has an innovative dual-action approach, and NICE has given it the nod to treat diabetes. But when could it be licensed for weight loss? We don’t know for sure, but as there’s such a shortage of Semaglutide, a move to license Tirzepatide® for weight loss could ease that pressure on Semgalutide® in the form of Wegovy®, in turn easing pressure on Ozempic®, and in turn free up more diabetes drugs for patients suffering from type 2 diabetes.
Can you buy Mounjaro® in the UK? Well, all bets are ON that it will be coming soon! If you search for Mounjaro or Tirzepatide UK, you‘ll already find many online pharmacies and online weight care providers listing the drug and extolling its benefits (along with a ‘Not available just yet’ notification). It seems they think they’ll be able to sell it within months, or at the very least, they know people are already getting excited about it and they want those customers on their mailing lists.
If you are looking for weight loss medication to help you lose weight, hold tight for now. While Tirzepatide® may be coming, it's not here yet so beware of claims of off-label options, ‘generic versions’ and weight loss scams.
PLUS: If you missed it, check out our guide to unmasking dark patterns in weight loss
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The Weight Loss Buzz Team
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