HEALTHY LIVING New Weight Loss Drugs More Eff e
But cost is a barrier as some insurers still see obesity as a lifestyle choice. ::
BY CHRIS ILIADES, M.D. O
ne of the “holy grails” of medicine has been an eff ective and safe drug for weight loss.
A pleasant surprise has been the
weight loss benefi t of drugs approved to treat Type 2 diabetes. The drugs mimic hormones called
incretins that are normally produced in the gut and lower blood sugar. There are two new incretin
drugs — one, tirzepatide, has made it through clinical trials and is expected to be approved this year for weight loss. Some market analysts predict it will easily break the record of the high-priced arthritis drug Humira, and reach annual sales of close to $50 billion. “The newest
medications for weight loss work through modulation of the gut-brain communication,” says Amy
Warriner, M.D., an endocrinologist
and professor in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at
the University of Alabama at Birmingham and director of
UAB’s Weight Loss Medicine clinic.
“These are incretin
hormones released from the intestinal tract after eating. They work to induce a sense of satiety after eating and reduce hunger between meals. They also slow the movement of food through the stomach.” The incretin hormones are
76 NEWSMAX MAXLIFE | SEPTEMBER 2023
called GLP-1 and GIP. Two GLP-1 drugs have already been approved for weight loss. Tirzepatide will be the third,
and should be signifi cantly better than the others. “Tirzepatide is a breakthrough
medication bringing to market a medication with both gut hormones, GLP-1 and GIP. When used in combination, the weight loss is greater than with either incretin hormone by itself,” explains Warriner. And at the end of June, Eli
Lilly announced that its newest obesity drug, retatrutide, led to a weight loss of 24% after 48 weeks in trials, which is the best result of any weight loss drug so far. Retatrutide targets GLP-1,
GIP, and the receptor for a third hormone, glucagon, so it has been nicknamed “triple G.”
CONFUSING NAMES Tirzepatide, with the brand name Mounjaro, was approved to treat diabetes in 2022. When it is approved for weight loss, it will get a diff erent brand name. “Medications are required to have
diff erent trade names for the various indications,” says Warriner. “Tirzepatide is eff ective in lowering
blood sugars in those with diabetes through eff ects on insulin release after meals. It also leads to weight loss.” So while it is currently only indicated for diabetes, it is on fast-track at the Food and Drug Administration for approval as an obesity medication, she notes. The only diff erence
between incretin drugs for diabetes and for weight loss
is the dose. The incretin drugs are given
at higher doses for weight loss than they are for diabetes. The other two incretins are semaglutide (approved for diabetes in 2020 as Ozempic, and in 2021 as Wegovy for weight loss), and liraglutide (brand name Victoza for diabetes and Saxenda for weight loss). “Wegovy is a 2.4 milligram
subcutaneous injection for weight loss and as Ozempic it is a one milligram subcutaneous injection weekly,” explains Frank L. Greenway, M.D., chief medical offi cer and professor at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University. “The medication is
the same, but the dose is diff erent.”
HOW DO THEY COMPARE? Liraglutide (Saxenda) was approved for weight loss back
in 2014, but it only provides an average of 5% weight loss. It was surpassed easily by semaglutide (Wegovy), which provides an average of 15% loss in body weight. Tirzepatide will be a blockbuster
because it provides a 22% to 23% weight loss, an average of 52 pounds for people taking the drug in clinical trials. That type of weight loss has
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