LONDON – Daily Mail: Researchers have hypothesized that millions of diabetics might see the life-changing results of an “incredible” new drug.
Tirzepatide works by mimicking hormones that help control blood sugar and curb appetite, to shed pounds.
It has already proven to be more effective than other similar drugs, including those on the NHS.
But the new data, due to be presented at a medical conference, will reveal that it also works faster for up to 12 weeks.
The scientists involved in the analysis said that injecting the patient with it once a week would produce an effect “that surpasses anything else we have now.”
As long as Tirzepatide mimics the body’s hormones, it helps people feel full and satisfied following a meal.
The level of these hormones is often low in obese patients, and they tend to make up the majority of type 2 diabetics.
In addition to helping people feel full, the drug controls diabetes by removing excess sugar from the body and preventing the liver from producing and excreting too much.
Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to blindness, amputation, or even coma.
The new analysis shows that tirzepatide, sold under the brand name Mounjaro and made by the US drug company Eli Lilly, might provide better and faster improvements in patients with the disease.
The new data came from two trials that compared a dose of 5 mg, 10 mg, or 15 mg with two different existing medicines.
Tirzepatide doses were increased by 2.5 mg every four weeks until the desired strength was reached and then maintained throughout the trial period, which lasted approximately one year.
One trial involved nearly 1,500 people with type 2 diabetes.
Participants in this trial were randomly assigned to either receive one of the three different doses of tirzepatide once a week or to receive a daily insulin injection.
The other trial compared the three doses of tirzepatide with another weekly dose of a drug called semaglutide to ensure weight loss and treat diabetes.
Recipients of tirzepatide achieved a key milestone in their blood sugar control, which is that their hemoglobin A1c level is less than 7%, on average four weeks faster than those taking semaglutide.
It also outperformed daily insulin doses, as participants on tirzepatide had a hemoglobin A1c level of less than 6.5% before 12 weeks of treatment.
Similar results in weight loss were also reported with the semaglutide trial.
The lead author of the analysis, Dr Adi Filjohn, a consultant metabolic and chemical pathologist from the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, said tirzepatide gave “unbelievable” results.
“The speed we’re seeing in terms of lowering glucose and losing weight is faster than anything else we have right now,” he said.
This drug may put adults with type 2 diabetes in a better position to prevent long-term complications. Even a small weight loss of 5% of initial body weight is associated with clinically significant improvements in resolving weight-related health problems for many individuals.
And for people with type 2 diabetes, being able to achieve these improvements in health in regarding half the time is incredible.
However, he added, it is important to remember that the injection is not the silver bullet, it should be used in conjunction with a favorable diet and exercise.
It is worth noting that type 2 diabetes occurs when the body does not produce enough insulin, or when the insulin that the body makes does not work properly, resulting in high blood sugar levels.
This can lead to serious health problems such as heart disease, increased risk of stroke, kidney problems, eye disease and nerve damage.
Unlike type 1 diabetes, which is a genetic disease, type 2 diabetes is primarily caused by obesity. It can be reversed by adopting a healthy lifestyle.
tirzepatide mimics two types of hormones in the body, one called a glucagon-like glucagon-like glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, and one called a glucose-dependent insulinotropic directing peptide, or GIP.
The use of GLP-1 receptor agonists began regarding a decade ago, transforming the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Participants in clinical trials reported that they experienced nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea as side effects of tirzepatide, and that these symptoms were more frequently reported with increased doses.
The drug is currently approved as a diabetes drug in the United States despite speculation that Eli Lilly will seek approval for use as a weight-loss drug.
It is said to cost around £843 ($975) for a four-week course, but is not currently approved for use in the UK.
The authors of the latest analysis note several limitations of their study, such as clinical trials that were not specifically designed to compare the rate of glycemic control and weight loss between different drugs, and therefore results should be interpreted with caution.
The analysis, funded by Eli Lilly, will be presented to the conference of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Sweden from September 19 to 23, Russia Today reported.
