FDA approves new weight loss drug
Doctors have been prescribing Mounjaro to help obese patients lose weight. The new dose will be branded Zepbound.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - The FDA approved another drug originally developed to treat diabetes for weight loss.
Doctors have been prescribing the drug, called Mounjaro, off-label to help obese patients lose weight. The new dose of the drug. under the generic name tirzepatide, will be branded Zepbound.
One of the more popular drugs for Type 2 diabetes often prescribed for weight loss is Ozempic. It’s branded Wegovy when used for that.
Zepbound has been shown to yield stronger results than other approved medicines.
The FDA cleared it for people who are obese. It’s also for people who are overweight and have at least one weight-related health condition.
Federal health officials say at least 100 million adults in the U.S. and about 15 million kids are considered obese.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says obesity raises the risk of heart disease, stroke, and certain types of cancer -- all of which are leading causes of preventable, premature death.
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