Mounjaro© is the first of it's class. The Novel GLP-1 and GIP RA combination.
(Note: I do not hold any stock or have any other financial interest in Mounjaro@)
When BYETTA@ was first introduced and marketed in 2005, as the first GLP-1 and only FDA-approved GLP-1 receptor agonist, we knew it was going to be good and it was. It was the first FDA approved GLP-1 and was used for the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes. Byetta© was a game changer. Right away we noticed the benefits of not only lowering blood glucose (BG) readings but also patients were getting some great weight loss benefits.
After Byetta© then came our next GLP-1 called Victoza@ (liraglutide), it also was for the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes and resulted in better weight loss results. Liraglutide was then granted FDA approval for weight loss and marketed under the name of Saxenda. Liraglutide again pushed GLP-1s into the spotlight. We thought liraglutide was good but then came the once weekly Trulicity@ and Ozempic@(semaglutide) as the next advancement in the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes. Semaglutide had also gained the approval for weight loss and came to market under the name Wygovy@.
Things were looking so good in the class of these GLP-1s that things seemed like they could not have gotten better...or so we thought. Then came Mounjaro©(Tirzepatide)..and it advanced things to a whole new level...
Mounjaro is the first of it's kind. In literally a class of it's own, Mounjaro© brought the properties of a new mechanism of action that we call Glucose dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide (GIP). Combined with the mechanism of the Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1), this dual mechanism brought about dramatic results.
Mounjaro©(Tirzepatide): Let's take a look at some of the data...
Frias, J.P, et. al. (2021). Tirzepatide vs. Semaglutide Once Weekly for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes. The New England Journal of Medicine, www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2107519.
Mounjaro©, in a head to head trial, compared Mounjaro© to Ozempic© and the results were amazing! Mounjaro© at the 5mg dose, beat the Ozempic© 1mg dose with a clinically significant weight loss reduction. To put this into perspective, Mounjaro© starts at a 2.5mg dose and can be titrated all the way up to a 15mg dose. Ozempic© by contrast starts at a 0.25mg dose and then titrates up to a 2mg dose. So this study took the lower Mounjaro© dose of 5mg and compared it to (at the time the highest) 1mg Ozempic© dose. At the time of the study, the 2mg Ozempic© dose was not yet available. It could be argued that we need to re-evaluate them comparing the 15mg Mounjaro© dose to the 2mg Ozempic© dose...
One cannot deny the impact that Mounjaro© has come in and had for not only Type 2 Diabetes but also weight loss. Tirzepatide (generic form of Mounjaro©), has applied and is currently in the process of being fast tracked to try to get FDA approval for weight loss.
What have patients said...
Many patients that I have worked with, report that they not only do not feel hungry but also the mention of food itself does not even tempt them. They describe a feeling or report that they are experiencing not only a lack of hunger but also a change in their mindset or desire to eat.
Biggest take away is both Mounjaro© and semaglutide are impacting not only the world of patients with Type 2 Diabetes but also the world of weight loss.
There has been so much success with weight loss in fact, that there has been medication shortages and manufacturers are scrambling to fill the void.
Now that we know GLP-1s are great: What are the Cons?
There are always cons as no medication is perfect. Most patients experience some side effects including but not limited to: nausea, diarrhea, or even hypoglycemic (extreme low blood gluose levels) reactions or some combination of those. A more severe side effect being reported to watch for would be Pancreatitis.
For a full and complete list of side effects please see the link below.
It should be noted. Mounjaro© is contraindicated in patients that have a personal or family history OF THYROID C-CELL TUMORS.
"In both male and female rats, tirzepatide causes dose-dependent and treatment-duration-dependent thyroid C-cell tumors at clinically relevant exposures. It is unknown whether Mounjaro causes thyroid C-cell tumors, including medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), in humans as human relevance of tirzepatide-induced rodent thyroid C-cell tumors has not been determined.
Mounjaro is contraindicated in patients with a personal or family history of MTC or in patients with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2). Counsel patients regarding the potential risk for MTC with the use of Mounjaro and inform them of symptoms of thyroid tumors (e.g., a mass in the neck, dysphagia, dyspnea, persistent hoarseness). Routine monitoring of serum calcitonin or using thyroid ultrasound is of uncertain value for early detection of MTC in patients treated with Mounjaro."
***If you think you could benefit from any of the GLP-1s discussed above, be sure to discuss with your Doctor.
***One last thought from The Humble RxMom***
Due to the current shortages of not only Mounjaro© but also Ozempic© and Trulicity© these game changing medications should be reserved for our patients with Diabetes. Once the supplies have leveled out, then patients without Diabetes could explore taking advantage of these medications for weight loss. In the mean time, tirzepatide continues it's race for FDA approval for the indication of weight loss but it has not yet been completed. So much more is to come...
**Please take note, my views are my own and are not associated or representative of my employer(s). This website and its associated platforms are for education purposes only and not medical advice. (If one wants to establish a relationship in which individual circumstances can be evaluated please send a message)
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