Real World Study Compares Weight Loss with Semaglutide vs Tirzepatide

While tirzepatide (Mounjaro) was significantly more effective than semaglutide (Ozempic), patients on both medications experienced substantial weight loss and we observed no difference in the risk of GI adverse events.

WeightControl.com:   How should a patient or provider decide which of these drugs is best for them?

Response: While tirzepatide (Mounjaro) was significantly more effective than semaglutide (Ozempic), patients on both medications experienced substantial weight loss and we observed no difference in the risk of GI adverse events. In addition to effectiveness, patients – together with their providers – should consider factors like medication availability, insurance coverage, and other health factors – as they decide which medication to initiate. It’s most important that patients discuss all of their questions, concerns, and health factors with their provider.

— Nick Stucky, MD, PhD, vice president of Truveta Research and practicing infectious disease physician, Providence Portland Medical Center and an author on the paper

As a practicing cardiologist and researcher, having the most timely data to inform patient care is paramount. Assessing the real-world effect of semaglutide (Ozempic) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) on weight loss provides a glimpse into what we may see with the more recently approved obesity drug tirzepatide (Zepbound) and how it might compare with semaglutide (Wegovy). Because tirzepatide (Mounjaro) was only approved by the FDA in mid-2022 for type 2 diabetes, the ability to rigorously analyze its use (on- and off-label) for a broad population of patients with overweight or obesity, not just a subset captured in insurance databases, has the power to greatly improve our understanding of how these agents are being used in every day practice and the effect that they’re having.

 — Ty Gluckman, MD, MHA, FACC, FAHA, FASPC, cardiologist, Providence Health, medical director at the Center for Cardiovascular Analytics, Research, and Data Science (CARDS), Providence Heart Institute, and an author on the paper 

WeightControl.com: Is there anything else you would like to add? Any disclosures?

Response: This study shows the power of using real-world data to inform care more quickly. Real-world data gives us the opportunity to speed time to insight, because we can see what’s happening with patients across the country in large numbers today. Clinical trials and registries play important roles, but are challenged in providing timely, diverse, large datasets that can be analyzed quickly.

This research was conducted using Truveta Data, which offers electronic health record (EHR) data from more than 100 million de-identified patients across more than 30 US health systems. Truveta Data is representative of inpatient and outpatient care from over 800 hospitals and 20,000 clinics and is updated daily for the most current view of patient care.

Truveta makes it possible to use real-world data to study any drug, disease, or device, so as Truveta Research, we’re excited to continue to study these GLP-1 medications, as well as several other conditions and medications to inform important public health topics so we can all learn faster and make more informed decisions about care. In fact, we do provide a quarterly analysis of GLP-1 medication prescribing trends. You can see the latest summary on the Truveta blog, as well as the full analysis with all methods and findings on MedRxiv. We will be updating this report in the next month or so.

Disclosures: disclosures, the study was conducted by Truveta Research with no outside funding.  Truveta Research is internally funded by Truveta to advance research on important public health and health equity topics, while being key first users of Truveta and informing product innovation and development. The team also often collaborates with health system, academic, and life sciences researchers. Dr. Gluckman participated in this capacity as a representative of Providence, which is a Truveta member health system.

— Nick Stucky, MD, PhD, vice president of Truveta Research and practicing infectious disease physician, Providence Portland Medical Center and an author on the paper

Citation: Rodriguez PJ, Goodwin Cartwright BM, Gratzl S, et al. Semaglutide vs Tirzepatide for Weight Loss in Adults With Overweight or Obesity. JAMA Intern Med. Published online July 08, 2024. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2024.2525

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Last Updated on July 10, 2024 by weightcontrol