Weight-loss meds go head-to-head in new study. One was significantly more effective, drugmaker says

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy In a new head-to-head trial, drugmaker Eli Lilly said Wednesday that patients using its obesity medication Zepbound lost significantly more weight than those who were given competitor Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy. The drugmaker said a clinical trial showed patients using the obesity drug Zepbound lost more weight than those who were given its competitor “Given the increased interest around obesity medications, we conducted this study to help health care providers and patients make informed decisions about treatment choice,” Dr. Leonard Glass, senior vice president of global medical affairs at Lilly Cardiometabolic Health, said in a statement. “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.” open image in gallery An injection pen of Zepbound, Eli Lilly’s weight loss drug, is seen next to boxes of Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy earlier this year. “In addition, Wegovy is the only obesity medication recommended by the European Society of Cardiology 2024 guidelines for treatment of chronic coronary syndromes.” The randomized clinical trial, in which participants were divided into groups to compare the drugs, included 751 adult participants across the U.S. who were affected by obesity or were overweight, with at least one other medical condition that affected their health like hypertension, sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease, and the metabolic disorder dyslipidemia.