[Tirzepatide visualization created with data from Protein Data Bank]
The findings follow research on Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide, another GLP-1 receptor agonist, which, in the SELECT trial, demonstrated a 73% reduction in the risk of progression to type 2 diabetes over 156 weeks. That study focused on patients with overweight or obesity and cardiovascular disease but without diabetes. A 2022 study that University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers billed as “transformational” showed that a 2.4 mg dose of semaglutide could reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes by 60% in overweight or obese individuals.
6.9% vs. 0.41% risk of developing type 2 diabetes
The chart below shows that, over a 176-week period, the drug lowered the diabetes risk by 94% compared to placebo. In the trial, 0.41% of participants treated with tirzepatide developed diabetes, compared to 6.9% in the placebo group. This translates to a number needed to treat of 18.5, meaning that for every 18-19 patients treated with tirzepatide, one case of diabetes is prevented over the course of the study.
SURMOUNT-1 showed that tirzepatide reduced the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 94% compared to a placebo.
Notable improvements in glycemic control
Tirzepatide demonstrated a positive effect on blood sugar levels. The figure below shows changes in HbA1c levels across treatment groups at week 72, with all tirzepatide doses resulting in reductions. The 15 mg dose showed the most significant decrease at 0.51%. These results help quantify the extent that tirzepatide could also help improve glycemic control. The study also reported significant reductions in fasting glucose levels, with the 15 mg dose lowering levels by 10.55 mg/dL compared to a 0.86 mg/dL increase in the placebo group.
Change in HbA1c levels at week 72 across treatment groups. All tirzepatide doses led to meaningful reductions in HbA1c, with the 15 mg dose showing the largest decrease of 0.51%.
Sustained weight loss observed
The SURMOUNT-1 trial reported significant weight loss with tirzepatide use. The figure below indicates that participants receiving the highest 15 mg dose experienced an average 22.9% reduction in body weight, compared to a 2.1% decrease in the placebo group by the end of treatment. A total of 62.88% of participants on the 15 mg dose achieved ≥20% weight loss, compared to only 1.26% in the placebo group. The study also reported significant reductions in waist circumference, with the 15 mg dose group showing a decrease of 19.9 cm compared to 3.4 cm in the placebo group.
Tirzepatide Delivers Significant Weight Loss in SURMOUNT-1 Trial
The SURMOUNT-1 trial enrolled a diverse cohort of overweight and obese prediabetic adults. Participants in the study spanned a diverse age range, with a mix of genders and baseline characteristics, including elevated BMI and HbA1c levels, which are common indicators of prediabetic status. The study’s demographic data underscore the generalizability of the findings to a broader population facing similar metabolic challenges.
Tirzepatide also demonstrated a generally favorable safety profile with most side effects gastrointestinal in nature. Common adverse events reported included disturbances such as nausea, which were consistent with the drug’s mechanism of action as a GLP-1 receptor agonist. These side effects were generally manageable and occurred at a lower frequency in the tirzepatide group compared to other treatments in the same class.
Around noon on August 20, Lilly’s stock was up nearly 3% trading around $948 per share.
Filed Under: clinical trials, Drug Discovery, Metabolic disease/endicrinology
