Tirzepatide and semaglutide, better known by their trade names, Mounjaro and Ozempic, have become the King Kong y Godzilla of the fight against type 2 diabetes and obesity, pathologies against which we are in a moment of change in terms of the availability of therapies.
These are two pharmacological options with a broad portfolio of ‘candidate’ patients, now and in the future: one in ten adults (537 million) worldwide currently lives with diabetes. The total number is expected to increase to 643 million (11.3%) in 2030 and 783 million (12.2%) in 2045. Regarding obesity, the data worldwide is alarming. He World Obesity Atlas 2023published by the World Obesity Federation, estimates that the majority of the world’s population (51%, or more than four billion people) will be living with overweight or obesity by 2035 if current trends prevail.
The arrival at pharmacological kit of these antidiabetic drugs with effects on weight control has represented a real revolution that scientists are trying to measure. In addition to keeping an eye on its side effects (neurological, stomach…) they also try to gauge its true impact.
A new meta-analysis of 22 studies shows that tirzepatide, Mounjaro, is more effective for blood sugar control and body weight loss than semaglutide, Ozempic, in a population of almost 19,000 patients. The study, led by Thomas Karagiannisfrom the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece), of which now progress is releasedwill be presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) to be held in Hamburg (Germany) the first week of October.
Semaglutide, developed by the Danish laboratory NovoNordisk, is a drug approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and also for the control of obesity and weight loss. Tirzepatide, which is owned by Lilly, has been approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and its manufacturers have filed applications for approval for the management of obesity and weight loss.