The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved Zepbound, a new weight loss medication from drugmaker Eli Lilly that shares the same active ingredient as the company's popular diabetes treatment.

What You Need To Know

  • The FDA on Wednesday approved Zepbound, a new weight loss medication from drugmaker Eli Lilly

  • In a recent study, the drug helped people lose about 60 pounds, or roughly a quarter of their body weight

  • The drug is approved for individuals with a Body Mass Index of 30 or higher, or those who are considered overweight (a BMI of 27 or greater) with a condition like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol

  • Zepbound shares the same active ingredient – tirzepatide – as Eli Lilly's drug Mounjaro, which is used to treat type 2 diabetes

Zepbound shares the same active ingredient – tirzepatide – as Eli Lilly's drug Mounjaro, which is used to treat type 2 diabetes. In a recent study, the drug helped people lose about 60 pounds, or roughly a quarter of their body weight.

“Obesity and overweight are serious conditions that can be associated with some of the leading causes of death such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes,” John Sharretts, M.D., director of the Division of Diabetes, Lipid Disorders, and Obesity in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statement. “In light of increasing rates of both obesity and overweight in the United States, today’s approval addresses an unmet medical need.”

The drug is approved for individuals with a Body Mass Index of 30 or higher, or those who are considered overweight (a BMI of 27 or greater) with a condition like high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol. Roughly 70% of American adults are overweight or have obesity, according to the FDA. Approximately 100 million Americans are considered to be obese, including 15 million children.

"Far too many hurdles continue to prevent people living with obesity from accessing obesity treatments that could lead to significant weight loss," Mike Mason, executive vice president and president, Lilly Diabetes and Obesity, said in a statement released by the company. "Broader access to these medicines is critical, which is why Lilly is committed to working with healthcare, government and industry partners to ensure people who may benefit from Zepbound can access it."

The company said that the medication will be available by the end of the year, with a $1,059.87 list price.

Zepbound is the latest diabetes drug approved for weight loss, joining Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, a high-dose version of its diabetes treatment Ozempic.

The drug tirzepatide in Zepbound and Mounjaro and semaglutide in Wegovy and Ozempic work by mimicking hormones that kick in after people eat to regulate appetite and the feeling of fullness. Both imitate a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1, known as GLP-1. Tirzepatide targets a second hormone, called glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, or GIP.

Zepbound appears to spur greater weight loss than Wegovy. Approved for chronic weight management in 2021, Wegovy helped people lose about 15% of their body weight or 34 pounds, according to study results.

Side effects of the new weight-loss drug include vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, constipation and other gastrointestinal problems. In the most recent published trial, about 10% of people taking tirzepatide dropped out of the study because of such problems, compared to about 2% of people taking dummy shots.