New weight-loss jab that’s ‘5 times better than dieting’ could be rolled out on NHS
A NEW weight loss jab to boost dieting efforts could be rolled out to UK patients.
Trials found a weekly injection of tirzepatide helped overweight people drop more than two stone in 18 months.
Patients managed to shave off an average of 15.7 per cent of their body weight in 72 weeks.
It was five times as much as the three per cent among those just trying diet and exercise.
It comes amid a fat jab craze that has seen celebs including Jeremy Clarkson and Elon Musk enjoy the slimming shortcut.
The American manufacturer of the new drug, Eli Lilly, said it will apply for a UK licence soon, which could make it available to the NHS.
Dr Kunal Gulati, a director at the firm, said: “Obesity is difficult to manage.
“Preventing it is a key focus but it’s also vitally important that we continue to develop future treatments for obesity.
“Eli Lilly will continue to work with regulators so that people in the UK can benefit from treatments as they become available.”
Eight in 10 people taking tirzepatide in a trial of 938 people with type 2 diabetes managed significant weight loss.
That compared to just three in 10 people given a fake jab and diet and exercise advice.
Data from the study suggest it works slightly better than the big-name Ozempic and Wegovy injections, which contain semaglutide.
Wegovy, which contains the drug semaglutide, is offered on prescription to obese adults given specialist weight loss treatment.
Semaglutide was originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes and sold under the name Ozempic.
But patients started noticing it helped suppress their appetites, stopping them eating as much and helping them shed the pounds.
So Danish firm Novo Nordisk developed Wegovy, which contains the same chemical but at higher doses specifically to aid weight loss.
Studies have shown it can help a third of patients lose up to a third of their body weight.
Dr Zoe Watson, GP and founder of wellgoodwellbeing.com, told The Sun: “It’s a brilliant drug, and one of the most exciting non-surgical advancements in obesity medicine in recent years.
“It could be potentially life changing for those who are obese or overweight.”