- Approved for the treatment of diabetes, tirzepatide helps weight loss by suppressing appetite.
- A similar drug called semaglutide was approved for obesity and became very popular, causing a shortage.
- However, long-term patient insurance and access are uncertain.
Another weight-loss drug designed to treat diabetes is part of a promising new class of drugs that may help with weight loss.
Tirzepatide has been noted for its dramatic weight loss results, including clinical trials in which patients using it lost 20% of their body weight in 16 months.
Dr. Robert Gavey, chief scientific and medical officer of the American Diabetes Association, told USA Today that the results of the study represent a breakthrough level of weight loss that is normally unheard of without weight loss surgery.
Despite its potential, there are many unknowns about the drug’s future, including access to patients, according to experts in obesity medicine.
Here’s how tirzepatide works, how it’s prescribed, potential drawbacks like side effects, cost, and insurance issues.
Not yet approved for weight loss, but doctors can prescribe it
One of the most popular existing weight-loss drugs, called semaglutide, was developed as a diabetes treatment and was approved by the FDA for the treatment of obesity in 2021, causing a surge in popularity and a shortage.
A similar story could unfold for tirzepatide. It has not been approved by the FDA for weight loss, but providers expect that to change based on studies showing its potential for obese patients.
Dr. Scott Isaacs, an endocrinologist and obesity medicine expert, told Insider:
In the meantime, patients will continue to have access to their medication. The lack of FDA approval for weight loss means manufacturers cannot market the drug for weight loss, Isaacs said. Tirzepatide is already FDA-approved and approved for use in diabetes, so doctors can prescribe it to patients they think might benefit them, even for other purposes.
Helps suppress appetite, similar to drugs like semaglutide
According to Isaacs, Tirzapetide works like other antidiabetic drugs used to treat obesity.
“It’s more like other drugs than different,” he said.
Patients taking the drug feel more full because it acts on a hormone called GLP-1 that controls appetite. Tirzapeptide also uniquely acts on another hormone related to insulin.
Some studies claim that tirzepatide is more effective for weight loss than other drugs, based on clinical trials showing more pounds lost.
But Isaacs said the evidence was inconclusive because the study was designed to focus on diabetes rather than weight loss and did not use the strongest doses of semaglutide available.
“It’s thought to be more effective, but no one knows if it’s more effective,” he said.
Like similar drugs, tirzepatide can cause side effects such as nausea.
Long-term purchases can be difficult
One of the biggest current questions about tirzepatide is whether it is affordable and available to patients who need it long-term.
The high cost of weight-loss drugs can usually be a deterrent for patients. Semaglutide, for example, is listed at a price of $1,349 in his monthly supply for obesity treatment.
Most insurance plans don’t cover weight loss drugs, Isaacs said.
“It is a huge burden for patients to prove they are eligible for the drug,” he said.
According to the manufacturer’s website, tirzepatide is currently gaining popularity as a weight loss prescription drug.
A problem with weight loss drugs such as tirzepatide and semaglutide is that patients must continue to take the drug to maintain their weight loss.
“I want to take it long-term because I know the weight will come back when I stop taking it,” Isaacs said.
However, the discount is set to expire next year, so patients taking tirzapeptide will need to find alternative means of purchasing the drug.
“There are a lot of unknowns. We are doing our best and hope things change,” said Isaacs. “I’m very open with my patients, but I’m worried about next June.”
