Hormonal
New-generation incretin-based obesity medications (semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly and tirzepatide 5-15 mg weekly) achieve mean weight loss exceeding 10-15%, which is two- to three-fold greater than previous obesity medications.
If you have obesity, new medications like semaglutide (2.4 mg weekly) or tirzepatide (5-15 mg weekly) can help you lose 15% or more of your body weight, which is significantly more than older drugs. These are taken as weekly injections. Because obesity is a chronic condition, you likely need to stay on these medications long-term to maintain the weight loss, similar to how you manage blood pressure or diabetes with daily meds.
For the first time, participants in clinical trials of these new agents achieved mean weight loss in excess of 10%, with loss of 15% for semaglutide 2.4 mg weekly and 15–21% for tirzepatide 5–15 mg over 68–72 weeks [13,14] – figures two-fold to three-fold larger than previously seen with obesity medications.
Why this rating
Based on large-scale randomized controlled trials (e.g., STEP, SURMOUNT) cited in the review.
Source
Medical management of obesity: unlocking the potential
Angie S. Xiang et al. · Climacteric · 2025
DOI 10.1080/13697137.2025.2455177
More from this paper
- GLP-1 receptor agonists (semaglutide, tirzepatide) provide significant cardiovascular benefits, including a 20% reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in patients with obesity and pre-existing cardiovascular disease but without diabetes.Strong
- Tirzepatide (5, 10, and 15 mg weekly) improves metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and liver fibrosis in patients with biopsy-confirmed MASH and stage F2 or F3 fibrosis.Good
Related findings · Hormonal
- Initial treatment for type 2 diabetes should be a combination of metformin and either an SGLT-2 inhibitor or a GLP-1 receptor agonist to achieve cardiorenal protection, rather than monotherapy or older agents like sulfonylureas.Strong
- For patients with specific monogenic obesity syndromes (leptin deficiency, POMC/PCSK1/LEPR mutations), targeted pharmacotherapy (recombinant leptin or setmelanotide) is highly effective and should be prioritized, unlike in polygenic obesity.Strong
- Continued weekly administration of 2.4 mg subcutaneous semaglutide prevents weight regain and promotes further weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity, whereas switching to placebo results in significant weight regain.Strong
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