Recent research has uncovered that Mounjaro, a weight-loss medication often hailed as the “King Kong” of its class, demonstrates a notably greater efficacy in women compared to men. The study, which involved over 4,500 obese adults, reveals that women experienced weight loss of up to 25% of their body weight after using the drug for up to 20 months, while men lost up to 18%.
The reasons behind this disparity are currently unknown, although experts suggest that further investigation is needed to explain the variation. Nevertheless, the findings confirm that Mounjaro, a weekly administered GLP-1 agonist, is a potent tool in the fight against obesity for both genders. This class of drugs works by mimicking a hormone that curbs appetite and reduces food intake.
In addition to its weight-loss benefits, tirzepatide, the active component of Mounjaro, has been shown to enhance insulin production, crucial for managing type 2 diabetes. Earlier this year, UK regulators provisionally approved the drug for use in individuals with a body mass index of 35 or higher, who also suffer from weight-related conditions such as heart disease or type 2 diabetes.
The analysis conducted by researchers at Eli Lilly reviewed data from four trials involving 4,677 participants who used Mounjaro for up to 88 weeks. Results from these trials consistently indicated significant weight loss in comparison to placebo groups. While both men and women achieved similar milestones of five, ten, and fifteen percent weight loss, women achieved more pronounced results, with reductions ranging from 11.5% to 27.6% of their total body weight, compared to 8.8% to 18.9% in men.
Dr. Luis-Emilio García-Pérez, who presented the findings at The European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) conference in Madrid, acknowledged the need for further research to understand the reasons behind the gender differences in weight loss. He noted, “We currently do not have a clear explanation. It could be related to body fat distribution or pharmacological factors, but we need more data to determine the cause.”
Dr. García-Pérez also pointed out that while the overall safety profile of Mounjaro was comparable between genders, there was a higher incidence of nausea and vomiting reported among female participants.
