Semaglutide vs Tirzepatide (Clinical trial)

GLP1 Receptor agonists are amazing – the most popular formulations (Semaglutide and Tirzepatide) have taken the world by storm (Ozempic/Wegovy and Mounjaro/Zepbound). They're changing peoples' lives and making it much easier to manage type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Up until now, we've mostly been able to only compare the results of various trials (funded by formulation manufacturers like Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly) to figure out which might be more effective, and a summary has crystalized:

• Semaglutide is a single agonist (GLP1 receptors)
• Tirzepatide is a dual agonist (GIP & GLP1 receptors)
• Tirzepatide outperforms GLP1 for weight loss

These insights though, you have to patch together via analysis – looking at papers and comparing sample sizes/efficacy and the outcomes of trials.

One of the things we almost never get is a direct comparison between the two, in a clinical setting, on the same participants.

Finally, there's a trial that compares Semaglutide and Tirzepatide "head to head":

Tirzepatide as Compared with Semaglutide for the Treatment of Obesity - PubMed

Among participants with obesity but without diabetes, treatment with tirzepatide was superior to treatment with semaglutide with respect to reduction in body weight and waist circumference at week 72. (Funded by Eli Lilly; SURMOUNT-5 ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT05822830.).

PubMedLouis J Aronne

Want to read about the results of the trial and implications for the GLP1 ecosystem?