What’s the difference between Semaglutide and Tirzepatide?
What’s the difference between Semaglutide and Tirzepatide??
Semaglutide, which is sold as the type 2 diabetes treatment Ozempic, and the obesity treatment Wegovy, is a GLP-1 receptor agonist. Semaglutide mimics the hormone GLP-1 and triggers the body to make more insulin when blood sugar levels rise after eating. Semaglutide slows down the emptying of the stomach and also tells the brain that you are full, hence reducing appetite.
Tirzepatide is also a GLP-1 peptide very much like Semaglutide. But it is different from Semaglutide because it has another ingredient that mimics the GIP (Glucose‐dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide) hormone/peptide in the body. With the GIP Peptide addition, it not only affects stomach emptying and appetite, but also affects how fat is managed in the body.
As of 2023, these products have become so popular that the FDA has placed them on its product shortage list.
BELOW are more details about Semaglutide and Tirzepatide:
SEMAGLUTIDE:
The Scientific Results of Semaglutide
Scientific results of Semaglutide are from four big clinical trials of this peptide that were presented to FDA for approval, including a seminal paper published in New England Journal which treated about 1,961 participants. The average weight loss is 15% body-weight, achieved by 50% of the people. That is double the results achieved with the best behavioral treatment, and it’s about double what you get with most weight loss drugs. Another study of almost 2000 people published in February 2021 has shown that this new, once-a-week weight loss injection can help patients with obesity significantly reduce their body weight and improve their health alongside a healthy, balanced diet.
The study, undertaken by University College London, found that 32% of people who took Semaglutide were able to reduce their overall body weight by 20%, in just 15 months when accompanied by a healthy, balanced diet.
What is Semaglutide?
Semaglutide is an injectable weight loss peptide that works on the appetite receptors in the brain to reduce feelings of hunger and cravings. The injection imitates GLP1 – a naturally occurring hormone in your body – which is released after you eat and indicates to your brain that you are full. These peptides also work to slow the emptying of your stomach, which leads to feelings of fullness for longer after you have eaten. The effects last for as long as you continue the injections on a maintenance dose.
More details about Semaglutide
Semaglutide belongs to a class of medications know as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, or GLP-1 RA. It mimics the GLP-1 hormone/peptide released in the gut in response to eating. One role of GLP-1 is to prompt the body to produce more insulin, which reduces blood sugar (glucose). For that reason, health care providers have used semaglutide for more than 15+ years to treat Type 2 Diabetes.
GLP-1 in higher amounts also interacts with the parts of the brain that suppress your appetite and signal you to feel full. When used in conjunction with diet and exercise, it can cause significant weight loss and a reduced risk of cancer, diabetes, and heart disease in people who are obese or overweight.
Currently, Semaglutide is only approved for weight loss under the brand name of Wegovy. The typical maintenance dose for weight loss it 1.7 to 2.4 milligrams (mg) administered weekly as subcutaneous (under the skin) self-injections.
Benefits of Semaglutide
• Decrease in Body Fat
• Decrease in Weight
• May Suppress Appetite
• Improved blood sugar regulation
• More control over insulin
• Reduced food cravings
TIRZEPATIDE:
What is Tirzepatide?
Tirzepatide is used for weight loss in adults who are overweight and/or have weight-related medical problems. Tirzepatide helps people lose weight and maintain the weight loss and should be combined with a low calorie diet and exercise. Tirzepatide works for weight loss by decreasing peoples appetite and slowing the movement of food from the stomach into the small intestine, which usually makes people feel full more quickly and for a longer period of time.
Tirzepatide (also known as Mounjaro and Zepbound) is the first FDA–approved product that is part of a brand-new drug class called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor agonists, or GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonists for short.
It mimics the actions of two hormones, GLP-1 and GIP, which work together to stimulate insulin secretion and slow stomach emptying after a meal, signal to the brain that you feel full, and regulate fat cells. All of this helps regulate blood sugar levels and cause weight loss.
Tirzepatide is administered as a once-weekly injection under the skin (subcutaneously) of your abdomen, thigh, or upper arm. Doses range from 2.5 milligrams (mg) to 15 mg.
Tirzepatide has to be titrated when it is started, meaning a gradual dose increase happens over many months. This allows the body to adjust to the medication and lower the risk of side effects.
Benefits of Tirzepatide
• Decrease in Body Fat
• Decrease in Weight
• May Suppress Appetite
• Improved blood sugar regulation
• More control over insulin
• Reduced food cravings
The Scientific Results of Tirzepatide
The specific amount of weight people might lose from Tirzepatide is uncertain, but significant weight loss ranging from 35.5 lb (16.1 kg) to 52.0 lb (23.6 kg) was observed in a 72-week SURMOUNT-1 clinical trial, which compared different Tirzepatide doses to a placebo (inactive treatment). Tirzepatide was administered once a week through subcutaneous injection, with doses of 5mg, 10mg, and 15mg tested in the trial.
Participants in the trial had to meet specific criteria: a body-mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, or a BMI of 27 or higher with at least one weight-related complication (e.g., high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, or cardiovascular disease). They had to be adults over 18 who had previously attempted diet-based weight loss unsuccessfully. No other weight-loss medications were allowed for 90 days before the trial. Individuals with diabetes or a history of planned or previous obesity surgery were ineligible for the trial.
The 72-week results for Tirzepatide for this trial were as follows:
• 5mg/week: 16% weight loss or an average reduction of 35.5 lb (16.1 kg)
• 10mg/week: 21.4% weight loss or an average reduction of 48.9 lb (22 kg)
• 15mg/week: 22.5% weight loss or an average reduction of 52 lb (23.6 kg)
• Placebo: 2.4% weight loss or an average reduction of 5.3 lb (2.4 kg).
More details about Tirzepatide
Tirzepatide received FDA approval in 2023 (under the names of Mounjaro and Zepbound), for chronic weight management in adults with obesity (with a BMI of 30 kg/m2 or greater) or adults who are overweight (with a BMI of 27 kg/m2 or greater) and also have weight-related medical problems such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obstructive sleep apnea or cardiovascular disease. Tirzepatide should be used together with a low calorie diet and increased physical activity. It was also approved by the FDA to treat Type 2 Diabetes.
Other key features and benefits of Tirzepatide include:
1. Blood sugar control: Tirzepatide helps lower blood sugar levels by stimulating the release of insulin, which helps move glucose into cells for energy, and by reducing the production of glucose in the liver.
2. Weight management: Tirzepatide has been shown to promote weight loss in people with or without type 2 diabetes. It works by reducing appetite and increasing feelings of fullness, which can lead to decreased food intake and subsequent weight reduction.
3. Cardiovascular benefits: Clinical trials have demonstrated that tirzepatide can reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events, such as heart attacks and strokes, in people with type 2 diabetes who have established cardiovascular disease.
4. Once-weekly dosing: Tirzepatide is administered once a week by subcutaneous injection, which offers convenience and may improve treatment adherence.
