A new study from Penn Nursing has found that the popular weight-loss drug tirzepatide may cause fewer side effects like nausea and vomiting compared to another commonly used drug, semaglutide.
The findings offer hope for people looking for more comfortable treatment options for obesity and type 2 diabetes.
The research was published in the journal Science Advances and was done using preclinical models to closely study how the two drugs affect the body.
Both tirzepatide and semaglutide are used to help people lose weight and manage blood sugar levels by reducing appetite.
But one major downside of these drugs has been uncomfortable side effects, especially stomach-related problems like nausea and vomiting.
In the study, researchers found that both drugs helped reduce food intake and body weight. However, tirzepatide caused significantly fewer side effects, even when used at similar doses.
Why the difference? Scientists say it comes down to how the two drugs work in the body. Semaglutide works on one system called the GLP-1 receptor.
Tirzepatide, on the other hand, acts on both the GLP-1 receptor and another system known as the GIP receptor. The GIP receptor seems to help reduce feelings of sickness, which may explain why patients taking tirzepatide feel better.
Dr. Bart C. De Jonghe, lead author of the study and a professor of nutrition at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Nursing, said the results are promising. “These findings suggest that tirzepatide’s unique action on both GLP-1 and GIP receptors may offer a more tolerable option for patients experiencing severe nausea on GLP-1 drugs,” he explained.
He also noted that reducing stomach-related side effects is an important goal for doctors and patients. Many people stop taking weight-loss drugs because of nausea or other unpleasant side effects.
A treatment that is easier on the body could help more people stick with their weight-loss plans and see better results over time.
As more people are prescribed these types of medications for weight loss and diabetes, the need for patient-friendly treatments is growing. This new research may help guide doctors in choosing the right medication for each person.
While the study was done using animal models, the findings open the door to future human studies and may lead to changes in how these drugs are prescribed.
The study is published in Science Advances.
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