New Obesity Drug Poised to Change Weight Loss Care Forever

Tirzepatide, a drug developed by Eli Lilly and Co., has been found to help people with type 2 diabetes who are overweight or have obesity to lose up to 16% of their body weight, or more than 34 pounds, over nearly 17 months. The drug could become the most effective drug in treating obesity and could be approved for chronic weight management by the US Food and Drug Administration. The drug is expected to outpace Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy, which made nearly $10 billion in 2022, with prescriptions continuing to soar. If approved for weight loss, tirzepatide could become one of the top-selling drugs ever, with annual sales topping $50 billion.

Rather than relying solely on diet, exercise and willpower to reduce weight, tirzepatide and other new drugs target the digestive and chemical pathways that underlie obesity, suppressing appetite and blunting cravings for food. Obesity affects more than 4 in 10 American adults and is linked to dozens of diseases that can lead to disability or death. Read more from the Associated Press and Yahoo! News.