Lilly’s Zepbound (tirzepatide) superior to Wegovy (semaglutide) in head-to-head trial showing an average weight loss of 20.2% vs. 13.7%

Eli Lilly and Company announced topline results from the SURMOUNT-5 phase 3b open-label randomized clinical trial. Zepbound (tirzepatide) provided a 47% greater relative weight loss compared to Wegovy (semaglutide). On average, Zepbound led to a superior weight loss of 20.2% compared to 13.7% with Wegovy. At 72 weeks, Zepbound beat Wegovy on both the primary endpoint and all five key secondary endpoints in this trial of adults living with obesity or overweight with at least one weight-related medical problem and without diabetes.

“Given the increased interest around obesity medications, we conducted this study to help health care providers and patients make informed decisions about treatment choice,” said Leonard C. Glass, MD, FACE, senior vice president of global medical affairs at Lilly Cardiometabolic Health. “We are thrilled that today’s findings showed the superior weight loss of Zepbound, which helped patients achieve 47% more relative weight loss compared to Wegovy. Zepbound is in a class of its own as the only FDA-approved dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist obesity medication, and it’s changing how millions of people manage this chronic disease.”

In addition, in a key secondary endpoint, 31.6% of people taking Zepbound achieved at least 25% body weight loss compared to 16.1% of those taking Wegovy.

The overall safety profile of Zepbound in SURMOUNT-5 was similar to previously reported SURMOUNT trials. The most commonly reported adverse events in SURMOUNT-5 for both Zepbound and Wegovy were gastrointestinal-related and were generally mild to moderate in severity.

Lilly will continue to evaluate the SURMOUNT-5 results, which will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at a medical meeting next year. Tirzepatide is commercialized for adults with obesity or with overweight who also have weight-related medical problems as Zepbound in the U.S. and Mounjaro in some global markets outside the U.S. Tirzepatide is also commercialized as Mounjaro for adults with type 2 diabetes in the U.S. Semaglutide is commercialized as Wegovy for people living with obesity or for adults with overweight who also have weight-related medical problems and Ozempic for people with type 2 diabetes.

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