Zepbound is the most recent addition to the list of weight-loss drugs. After clinical trials revealed its potential to help people lose up to 23 kg in a 16-month timeframe, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Zepbound from American pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly.
Zepbound will join the ranks of established weight-loss medications such as Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy, as well as Lilly’s Mounjaro.
The FDA has approved the use of this drug for individuals who are obese or overweight and have at least one weight-related disease.
Zepbound is scheduled to be accessible in the United States by the end of the year, with a monthly cost of around $1,060, according to Eli Lilly. However, because weight-reduction drugs are frequently not completely covered by insurance and Medicare does not cover them by law, the high cost may make it inaccessible for many.
How does Zepbound function in the body?
Zepbound is a GLP-1 agonist that imitates hormones that assist in lowering hunger and food intake. Furthermore, Zepbound mimics another hormone, GIP, which may not only suppress hunger but also improve the body’s capacity to break down sugar and fat.
In a phase 3 clinical trial, Zepbound resulted in an average weight loss of 22.5 percent of body weight, or around 23 kg, outperforming all currently available weight loss drugs on the market.
The study’s participants were either obese or overweight, with at least one weight-related condition.
Dr. Christopher McGowan, a gastroenterologist who runs a weight loss clinic in Cary, North Carolina, told NBC News that Zepbound was “the most effective form of pharmaceutical obesity treatment ever” and compared its efficacy to that of bariatric surgery (a variety of surgical procedures used to treat obesity and related conditions).
What about the negative consequences?
However, there are certain safety issues with these drugs. A recent high-profile incident included the death of an Australian woman who was attempting to lose weight before her daughter’s wedding. Trish Webster, 56, was prescribed Ozempic, a drug (similar to Zepbound) targeted primarily for Type 2 diabetes management and weight loss.
Her weight-loss journey took a tragic turn when she became ill with a gastrointestinal disease. As a result, her husband is now warning that the frequently used weight loss medication is “definitely not worth the risks.”
Ozempic has received widespread acclaim as a weight-loss supplement. This prescription, according to the New York Post, operates similarly to Zepbound by mimicking a natural hormone called GLP-1, which slows the transit of food through the stomach and intestines, leading in prolonged sensations of fullness.
Furthermore, Reuters discovered 265 instances of patients suffering suicidal thoughts or behaviors while taking these or comparable medicines in a recent investigation of the US Food and Drug Administration’s adverse-event database since 2010. 36 of these reports depict suicides or attempted suicides.
Is this a long-term weight-management strategy for those for whom this medicine works?
Doctors, psychiatrists, and eating disorder specialists are concerned about the long-term effects of these new drugs, which were created to treat diabetes.
These drugs’ common side effects, such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and constipation, can be severe. A real-world study found that over half of people with diabetes stopped taking the previous generation of these drugs within a year, and 70% stopped taking them within two years.
Furthermore, individuals may be unaware of the extent to which pharmaceutical corporations, which charge roughly $1,000 per month for these pills, are actively seeking to convince them of the necessity for appetite suppressants, according to USA Today.
