Zepbound vs. Wegovy: Here's which weight loss drug worked best in first trial
FILE-Novo Nordisk Wegovy manufactured by Novo Nordisk packaging is seen in this illustration photo taken in a pharmacy on April 8, 2024. (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Zepbound and Wegovy were compared in a head-to-head trial to show which weight loss drug was more effective for patients.
This trial consisted of 751 people in the U.S. who were overweight or had obesity and roughly one other weight-related health problem, but not diabetes.
Trial reveals if Zepbound or Wegovy is better for weight loss
Why you should care:
People taking Zepbound, Eli Lilly’s obesity drug, lost almost 50% more weight than individuals using Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy.
According to a study funded by Eli Lilly, the trial revealed that participants taking tirzepatide, the drug sold as Zepbound, lost an average of 50 pounds, while those who took semaglutide, or Wegovy, lost about 33 pounds.
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The two weight-loss drugs are part of a new group of medications that work by imitating hormones in the gut and brain that regulate appetite and feelings of fullness, Dr. Louis Aronne, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medicine, told the Associated Press.
According to the Associated Press, trial participants received weekly injections of the highest tolerated doses of Zepbound, either 10 milligrams or 15 milligrams, or Wegovy, 1.7 milligrams or 2.4 milligrams.
When the trial concluded, individuals who took Zepbound lost roughly 20% of their body weight on average, compared with almost 14% loss for those who took Wegovy.
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By the end of the trial, those who took Zepbound lost about 20% of their body weight on average, compared with a nearly 14% loss for those who took Wegovy. And nearly 32% of individuals taking Zepbound lost at roughly a quarter of their body weight, compared to about 16% of those taking Wegovy, the AP reported, citing the study.
Researchers explained in the study that weight loss was about 6% lower in men than in women in both groups, but trial participants in both groups lost more weight, and experienced improvements in health categories like blood pressure, blood fat and blood sugar levels.
Did trial patients have side effects taking the medications?
Dig deeper:
Over three-quarters of patients taking Zepbound and Weygovy reported at least one side effect, mostly mild to moderate gastrointestinal issues like nausea, constipation, diarrhea, and vomiting. While 6% of people taking Zepbound left the trial because of adverse events, compared with 8% of those taking Wegovy.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Associated Press, which cites a study funded by Eli Lilly in a clinical trial featuring Zepbound and Wegovy. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.