Eli Lilly’s Zepbound approved by FDA for chronic weight management
Betsy Goodfellow | November 9, 2023 | News story | Medical Communications | Eli Lilly, FDA, Obesity, Zepbound, weight loss, weight management
Eli Lilly has announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zepbound (tirzepatide) injection for chronic weight management, indicated for patients who are obese or overweight and have weight-related medical problems such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obstructive sleep apnea or cardiovascular disease (CVD).
It is recommended that the drug is used alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, and should not be used with other tirzepatide-containing products or any GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines.
The approval follows results from the phase 3 SURMOUNT-1 and SURMOUNT-2 trials, in which patients taking Zepbound as an adjunct to diet and exercise experienced substantial weight loss compared to placebo. A third of patients on the drug lost over 58lb compared to only 1.5% on placebo.
Dr Leonard Glass, senior vice president global medical affairs, Lilly Diabetes and Obesity, commented: “Unfortunately, despite scientific evidence to the contrary, obesity is often seen as a lifestyle choice – something that people should manage themselves. For decades, diet and exercise have been a go-to, but it’s not uncommon for a person to have tried 20-30 times to lose weight with this approach. Research now shows that the body may respond to a calorie-deficit diet by increasing hunger and reducing feelings of fullness, making weight loss more difficult. Lilly is aiming to eliminate misperceptions about this disease and transform how it can be managed.”
The drug is expected to be available in the US by the end of 2023 in six doses (2.5mg, 5mg, 7.5mg, 10mg, 12.5mg and 15mg).
Betsy Goodfellow
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