The FDA has approved another injection drug for weight loss to compete with the popular drug Ozempic. The new drug is called Zepbound and it is made by Eli Lilly and Co.
The active ingredient in Zepbound is tirzepatide, which is already approved by the FDA to treat diabetes with a drug called Mounjaro.
Zepbound was put through two clinical trials and both showed that people who took it experienced at least some “statistically significant” weight loss. But the FDA warns that it can also cause “side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal (stomach) discomfort and pain, injection site reactions, fatigue, hypersensitivity (allergic) reactions (typically fever and rash), burping, hair loss and gastroesophageal reflux disease.” Oh and it also “causes thyroid C-cell tumors in rats.”
The rational for approving this drug is that obesity is related to cardiac disease so one can lower the risk of cardiac events by taking these not-so-safe drugs. It’s a devil-you-choose situation. Also, there is no indication as to how patients ever get off of these weight loss injectables. Presumably, once you start, you cannot go off of them.
Ozempic is facing litigation from people who say that they downplayed the risks of the drug.
According to the FDA, “Zepbound received Priority Review and Fast Track designations for this indication.”
