Tirzepatide Superior to Semaglutide in Weight Loss Trial: Daily Dose

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On December 4, 2024, we reported on new topline results from the SURMOUNT-5 phase 3b clinical trial examining the efficacy and safety of tirzepatide compared with semaglutide in adults with obesity or overweight.

The study

The multicenter, randomized, open-label SURMOUNT-5 trial included adults with obesity, or overweight with at least one of the following comorbidities: hypertension, dyslipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) or cardiovascular disease, who did not have diabetes. Investigators randomly assigned 751 adults in the US and Puerto Rico to receive maximum tolerated dose of tirzepatide (10 mg or 15 mg) or semaglutide (1.7 mg or 2.4 mg).

The findings

Results showed that tirzepatide provided a 47% greater relative weight loss compared to semaglutide. Specifically, researchers observed an average loss of 50.3 lbs (20.2%) among tirzepatide-treated participants vs 33.1 lbs (13.7%) among semaglutide-treated adults after 72 weeks.

In addition, in a key secondary endpoint, 31.6% of people who received tirzepatide achieved at least 25% body weight loss compared to 16.1% of those who received semaglutide.

These topline findings will be amended pending further evaluation. Results will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at a medical meeting next year.

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