Semaglutide-like drugs less effective than another drug, tirzepatide, for type 2 diabetics

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-08-13 01:00

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Taiwanese scientists say GLP-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1 RAs), the class of drugs that includes semaglutide, are less effective for the treatment of type 2 diabetes than another drug called tirzepatide - which is a GLP-1 Receptor Agonist and a glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP). GLP-1 RAs mimic the effects of a single gut hormone, while tirzepatide mimics two gut hormones. Their study, which included a total of 140,308 patients with type 2 diabetes, 125,474 of whom were treated with a GLP-1 RA and 14,834 of whom were treated with tirzepatide, found death rates and the incidence of heart and kidney problems were lower with tirzepatide. Tirzepatide is approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, but has not been approved for weight loss or the treatment of obesity. Type 2 diabetes patients may benefit from being treated with tirzepatide rather than GLP-1 RAs, the authors conclude.