A weight-loss jab, which is not yet legally available in the UK, may be more effective than Mounjaro, according to a new study
Researchers found tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro, helped patients shed almost a fifth of their body weight (19 per cent) over about 17 months
But retatrutide – an experimental medicine which has not been authorised for medical use by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) – helped patients losealmost a quarter of their weight (22.1 per cent) in about 48 weeks
Similar weight loss effects were seen after 36 weeks in another experimental jab called amycretin (23.9 per cent)
In comparison, semaglutide injections such as Wegovy and Ozempic can help people lose about 18 per cent of their body weight over a similar period
The Wegovy pill was found to help patients lose as much as 15.5 per cent of their body weight after 68 weeks
Researchers also found that Foundayo, known as orforglipron, helped patients lose up to 14.7 per cent after 36 weeks
Retatrutide has been described as the next big thing in weight loss, as studies suggest it is even more powerful than other popular weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy
Weight-loss injections, also known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, work by mimicking the natural hormone which regulates blood sugar, appetite and digestion
But retatrutide targets three hormone pathways that affect appetite, metabolism and blood sugar levels
In addition to GLP-1, it uses GIP or glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, which helps regulate blood sugar and fat storage
Glucagon, which also helps manage your blood sugar levels, is the third hormone pathway
Acting on all three of these hormones allows the drug to reduce how much a person eats and increase how much energy their body burns
For the study, published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, researchers at Jewish General Hospital and McGill University analysed 38 trials with more than 25,000 participants to study the safety and efficacy of the treatments compared with placebo medicines
Across the studies, participants taking the GLP-1 drugs lost significantly more weight than those receiving the placebo, with some losing more than 20 per cent of their body weight
While gastrointestinal side effects were frequently reported, serious adverse events and deaths were rare, and no new safety concerns were identified
The study authors concluded that GLP-1–based therapies offer effective weight-loss options for people without diabetes, with a growing range of injectable and oral treatments becoming available
