Mounjaro leads to more weight loss than Ozempic, study finds

WATCH: Tips for maintaining weight after taking medication

As the popularity of drugs used for weight loss continues to explode, a new study sheds light on which drugs are most effective for weight loss.

Mounjaro, a drug whose main active ingredient is tirzepatide, has been found to be more effective in helping people lose weight and keep it off, according to a study published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine. .

People taking Mounjaro were three times more likely to lose 15% or more weight, 2.5 times more likely to lose 10% or more weight, and 1.8 times more likely to lose 5% or more compared to those taking semaglutide. , the active ingredient found in Ozempic.

This result was supported at 12 months of follow-up, according to the study, which examined more than 18,000 patients with obesity, with and without diabetes Type 2.

The study found that non-diabetic patients lost more weight than diabetic patients.

According to the authors of the study, more research is needed to understand why Mounjaro, which contains the active ingredient tirzepatide, was found to be effective in reducing body weight.

Tirzepatide targets the GLP 1 and GIP receptor agonists, while semaglutide only mimics the GLP-1 receptor agonist, a type of hormone in the body that affects everything from the brain to the muscles to the pancreas, stomach and intestines. courage.

Both Ozempic and Mounjaro are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat Type 2 diabetes, but some doctors prescribe the medication «off-label» for weight loss, as approved by the FDA. .

When these drugs are used «off-label,» they are often not covered by insurance and can be expensive, running as much as $1,000 a month.

Now there are also two drugs on the market that are approved by the FDA for weight loss – Wegovy, a medicine with one ingredient, semaglutide, like Ozempic, and Zepbound, a medicine with an ingredient same, tirzepatide, as. Loader.

The drugs, which are usually given once a week as injections, work by helping the pancreas to increase insulin production to move sugar from the blood to the body’s cells.

They also slow down the movement of food in the stomach and suppress appetite, thus causing weight loss.

What you need to know about a new study that shows weight loss drugs can reduce the risk of cancer

Previous clinical studies have shown drug users can lose between 5% and 20% of their body weight with the drug over time.

Medical experts show that using drugs to lose weight also requires cardio and strength training and changing your diet to include protein and less food made with added sugar.

The most commonly reported side effects of weight loss medications are nausea and constipation, but gallbladder and pancreatic disease are also reported. The manufacturers of these drugs recommend discussing the level of side effects and specific risks with a health care professional before starting.

Barbra Streisand publicly questions Melissa McCarthy about Ozempic, sparking a debate about weight and shame.

The study found that there was no difference in the number of adverse gastrointestinal effects between people with Type 2 diabetes and those without it in the study.

Prapti Chatterjee-Murphy, MD, member of the ABC News Medical Unit, contributed to this report.