Weight loss drugs pitted against each other in first head-to-head trial

The first trial of its kind saw one drug come out on top.

Mounjaro and Wegovy were put to the test on which results in greater weight loss.

Both drugs did lead to substantial weight loss, however one came out on top.

After a 72 week period, Mounjaro resulted in a 20% weight reduction while Wegovy resulted in 14%, that is according to the trial.

Both drugs succeed in tricking the brain into making you feel full, resulting in patients eating less and burning fat, however, minor differences in how they work can explain their effectiveness.

Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Mounjaro, paid for the trial which involved 750 obese people averaging at 113kg (nearly 18 stone).

Those taking part in the trial took the highest dose they could tolerate of either drug.

The trials findings were presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Malaga, as well as in the New England Journal of Medicine.

They showed:

• 32% of people lost a quarter of their body weight on Mounjaro compared to 16% on Wegovy
• Those on Mounjaro lost an average of 18cm from their waistlines compared with 13cm on Wegovy.
• Those on Mounjaro had better blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
• Both had similar levels of side-effects.
• Women tended to lose more weight than men.

Dr Louis Aronne who conducted the trial commented: "The majority of people with obesity will do just fine with semaglutide (Wegovy), those at the higher end may ultimately do better with tirzepatide (Mounjaro)."