GLP-1 Weight Loss Miracle Drug Officially Approved in United States
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GLP-1 Weight Loss Miracle Drug Officially Approved in United States – Eli Lilly’s Tirzepatide Receives FDA Nod
A GLP-1 class weight loss miracle drug has officially entered the U.S. market, as Eli Lilly’s product named Zepbound has received regulatory approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
On November 8, Eli Lilly announced that the FDA has approved Zepbound for use in adult obesity patients, overweight individuals, and those who need to lose weight and maintain it due to health issues such as weight-related high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.
Eli Lilly stated that Zepbound, available in six dosages, is priced at $1,059.87 and is expected to be introduced to the U.S. market by the end of this year.
Following the announcement of Zepbound’s approval for market launch, Eli Lilly’s stock price, which had initially declined in the morning session, continued to rise, reaching a daily high of $613, marking a more than 2% increase for the day. The price increase later narrowed to within 2%, poised for its third consecutive day of gains, surpassing $600 for the first time since October 18.
Zepbound contains the active ingredient known domestically as tirzepatide. Tirzepatide, marketed under the name Mounjaro, is an innovative drug that was approved in May of last year for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
Specifically, tirzepatide is a dual receptor agonist of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). It combines the actions of these two incretins into a single molecule and is administered once a week.
GIP can complement the effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists. Preclinical models have demonstrated that GIP can reduce food intake and increase energy expenditure, leading to weight loss. When combined with a GLP-1 receptor agonist, it may have a greater impact on glucose levels and weight.
Previously, peptide-based weight loss drugs approved for market by the FDA, such as liraglutide (Saxenda) and semaglutide (Wegovy) under Novo Nordisk, belong to the GLP-1 receptor agonist class. Their mechanism of action simulates that of GLP-1, increasing insulin secretion to control blood glucose levels in diabetic patients.
Due to findings in clinical practice that GLP-1 receptor agonists can slow gastric emptying, increase feelings of fullness, and reduce appetite, these GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs have become popular choices for weight loss. Clinical trial results in overweight and obese populations abroad have shown that the weight loss effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists surpass that of orlistat.
It is noted that due to the trend of using GLP-1 class drugs for weight loss, tirzepatide was highly anticipated even before its approval, and like semaglutide and its low-dose version, Ozempic, it continued to be in high demand, despite the cost of around $1,000 per month, leading to shortages of these drugs in recent months.
A Wall Street Journal article titled “FDA Warning: Severe Shortage of Weight Loss Miracles” mentioned that the global shortage of semaglutide has persisted for nearly a year and is expected to continue.
Tirzepatide’s speed of market entry has surprised the market, making it the fastest-ramping drug in history.
Tirzepatide achieved sales of $1.55 billion in the first half of the year, with sales in the second quarter alone reaching $980 million, representing a 72% quarter-on-quarter increase. Eli Lilly even further raised its full-year sales expectations for tirzepatide to $4 billion.
GLP-1 Weight Loss Miracle Drug Officially Approved in United States
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