A new drug has been approved in the UK to treat type 2 diabetes.

Tirzepatide (sold under the brand name Mounjaro) will be available by prescription in early 2024.

Monjaro is an injectable treatment that helps the body control blood glucose (sugar) levels after meals and control appetite. According to the scientific website “Science Alert,” research conducted on the drug shows that compared to currently prescribed type 2 diabetes medications, it is more effective in controlling blood sugar and leads to greater weight loss.

Tirzepatide is derived from a protein with a similar structure to the hormone GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide) that stimulates insulin release. But what makes trispatide special is that it binds to the receptor for another hormone called GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide 1), which also releases insulin. It is the first “dual hormone agonist” (a drug that binds to and activates a hormone receptor) approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes.

Semaglutide (sold under the brand name Ozempic) targets only GLP-1.

As for how it works, the hormones GLP-1 and GIP are produced by specialized cells in the large and small intestines that are released in response to high levels of glucose in the blood after a meal. GLP-1 and GIP work in the pancreas to increase production of the hormone insulin, which lowers blood glucose levels. They also decrease glucagon production, which normally increases when our glucose levels are too low.

Type 2 diabetes is thought to be due to the inability to regulate glucose levels after meals. GLP-1 also slows the rate at which the stomach empties, making you feel fuller for longer. All these elements combined have great benefits in lowering blood sugar levels.

These effects have also been proven to lead to weight loss. The effects of GIP and GLP-1, which our bodies naturally produce, only last for about two minutes. But tirzepatide has modified the structure of these hormones so that they break down more slowly and act longer (lasting about five days); This means that tirzepatide should only be taken once a week.

How useful is Monjaro?

Not surprisingly, research trials have found that trispatide is more effective than semaglutide, which acts only on GLP-1, because it mimics the effects of both hormones.

In this context, a 40-week trial compared doses of 5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg tirizpatide with 1 mg semaglutide. The trial found that all doses of trispatide were more effective than semaglutide in lowering mean blood glucose levels; More than 80% of those treated with Tirzepatide achieved their glucose goals. (It is important to note here that the dose of drugs is related to the effective dose, so the doses of different drugs are not comparable.)

A separate one-year study found that 15 mg of tirspatide was as effective in controlling blood glucose levels as insulin.

Another benefit of tirspatide for type 2 diabetes patients is that it supports weight loss. Research shows that people taking tercepatide for type 2 diabetes lost an average of 8.5% – 13% of their body weight, while those taking semaglutide lost about 7%.

About 80%-90% of people with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese. Until recently, drugs used to treat this disease did not cause weight loss, or were even associated with weight gain.

Drugs such as semaglutide and trispatide, which lower blood glucose and promote weight loss at the same time, have changed the approach to type 2 diabetes treatment.

Weight loss can support the management of type 2 diabetes and lead to its recovery. This is because excess body weight, especially weight carried around the midsection, causes insulin to be less effective and produced in smaller amounts.

Tirzepatide can be safely used with other diabetes medications (such as metformin) if diabetes control goals are not achieved.

Although there are no studies directly comparing tercepatide with semaglutide, these weight reductions are greater than those reported in studies using semaglutide.