A new study from Penn Nursing suggests that a promising weight-loss drug, tirzepatide, could cause fewer unpleasant side effects than one of the most widely used drugs on the market today.
The research, published in Science Advances, compared tirzepatide to semaglutide, the medication better known by brand names such as Ozempic and Wegovy.
Both drugs are designed to help people lose weight by reducing appetite and food intake. In this preclinical study, researchers found that both medications were effective in lowering body weight.
However, tirzepatide stood out because it led to significantly fewer side effects, such as nausea and vomiting, when given at similar doses.
The reason for this difference, researchers say, comes down to how the drugs work inside the body.
Semaglutide activates a single pathway called the GLP-1 receptor, which helps reduce appetite but often causes gastrointestinal discomfort.
Tirzepatide, on the other hand, activates both the GLP-1 receptor and a second system known as the GIP receptor.
The GIP receptor seems to counterbalance some of the nausea and sickness caused by GLP-1 activation, making tirzepatide easier to tolerate.
“We are very encouraged by these findings,” said Dr. Bart C. De Jonghe, professor of nutrition in Penn Nursing’s Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences.
“Tirzepatide’s unique action on GLP-1 and GIP receptors may offer a more tolerable option for patients experiencing severe nausea on GLP-1 drugs. Fewer gastrointestinal side effects is a real clinical need for effective and patient-friendly obesity and diabetes treatments.”
Medications like semaglutide have rapidly gained popularity because of their ability to help people lose significant amounts of weight while also improving blood sugar levels in those with type 2 diabetes.
But many patients stop taking them due to nausea, vomiting, or other digestive problems. This makes the search for a treatment that works just as well, but with fewer drawbacks, an important priority for doctors and patients alike.
While this latest study was conducted in preclinical models, researchers believe the results are a strong sign that tirzepatide could be a better tolerated option in clinical practice.
More studies in humans will be needed to confirm whether the drug truly reduces side effects while maintaining effectiveness for weight loss and diabetes care.
If future research supports these findings, tirzepatide could become a more patient-friendly alternative in the growing field of weight-loss medications, offering people not just effective results but also a more comfortable treatment experience.
