Mounjaro is the newest diabetes drug that also triggers dramatic weight loss in people who inject it. National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) Ministry of Health Malaysia and The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Mounjaro a year ago for patients with diabetes.
FDA officials have not approved Mounjaro for weight loss yet, but they are fast-tracking consideration of the drug. That’s because clinical trials have shown that people who do not have diabetes but do have elevated body mass indexes (BMI) used lost considerable weight when they used Mounjaro.
An FDA recommendation regarding Mounjaro for weight loss could come by the end of this year.
In the approval for Mounjaro for people with diabetes, federal health officials said it works well for people with Type 2 diabetes.
Like Ozempic and Wegovy, it’s an injectable medication, but Mounjaro differs in some key ways from the other new, popular diabetes medications.
Instead of being a single-receptor agonist, which semaglutide (the drug in Ozempic and Wegovy) is, tirzepatide activates two receptors at the same time. That’s why it’s called a ‘dual-agonist.’
This double agonist approach seems to cause people who use tirzepatide injections to lose even more weight than those who use a single-agonist medication.
These receptors stimulate hormones that control blood sugar levels and reduce appetite, triggering weight loss.
The receptors are known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP).
Wegovy and Ozempic activate the GLP-1 receptor, while tirzepatide activates two receptors: both GLP-1 and GIP.
It suppresses appetite and makes you feel more full. It changes the rate at which your stomach empties
People who used the largest dose of Mounjaro, 15 milligrams, lost as much as 21% of their body weight.
While losing significant weight, study participants also were able to keep their diabetes symptoms in check.
Both Mounjaro and Ozempic are approved to treat type 2 diabetes. And both drugs can be prescribed off-label for weight loss. (Ozempic is also approved for use in people with type 2 diabetes to lower cardiovascular risks and to treat chronic kidney disease.)
Studies have not specifically compared tirzepatide with semaglutide when they’re used for weight loss. But one study did compare the effects of body weight when used to treat type 2 diabetes. In this study, people using tirzepatide lost more weight than people using semaglutide.
According to FDA regulators, the average weight loss with the maximum recommended dose of tirzepatide resulted in patients losing 12 pounds more on average than those who used semaglutide.
Some people may have side effects with tirzepatide. These include:
Some patients report gastrointestinal problems with tirzepatide and semaglutide, but many do not have any problems. It’s just a percentage of people who have side effects. The majority of people tolerate these medications well.
If the patient pay close attention to when they start feeling full and stop eating at that point. People will end up dramatically reducing how much they eat. For those who love to eat and cook, taking the drugs can be a challenge.
To start, your doctor will typically prescribe a low dosage of tirzepatide. For example, a likely starting dosage is 2.5 milligrams (mg) injected once weekly for 4 weeks. Then, your doctor will likely increase your tirzepatide dose by 2.5 mg every 4 weeks until they reach a dose that helps with weight loss.
Your exact dosage will depend on how well the drug works to help you lose weight.
Your doctor will decide whether it’s safe for you to use Mounjaro for weight loss. A doctor may prescribe tirzepatide off-label for weight loss in adults with either:
This is because tirzepatide (the active drug in Mounjaro) was shown to help with weight loss in adults meeting either of these qualifications in studies.
Tirzepatide is prescribed along with exercise and a balanced diet, which can help with weight management.
Each of the injection sites for Mounjaro (your thigh, abdomen, or upper arm) are thought to be equally effective. Be sure to inject tirzepatide only in these areas. Also, you should:
You’ll inject Mounjaro once weekly, usually on the same day each week. You can inject the drug any time of day.
Mounjaro is very effective for weight loss and reducing A1C levels, but it may cause severe gastrointestinal side effects. Before deciding, consult your health care provider to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each medication.
