The active ingredient in Eli Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound induces more significant weight loss than Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy, according to a study published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine, which compared these widely-used injectable medications.

Tirzepatide is the active component in Eli Lilly's drugs, while semaglutide is in Novo Nordisk's. Both belong to the novel class of medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists.

This study analyzed over 41,000 overweight or obese adults prescribed one of the two drugs for the first time. Of these, 18,836 adults were equally divided between tirzepatide and semaglutide from May 2022 to September 2023, with the analysis concluding on April 3. The participant pool initially consisted of 41,222 individuals.

The racial composition included 77.1% white, 11.8% Black, 1.9% Asian, and an unidentified remainder. Participants with Type 2 diabetes, constituting just over 50%, were not excluded, considering these drugs were initially designed to treat this form of diabetes.

The findings indicated that tirzepatide was associated with significantly greater weight loss compared to semaglutide in this cohort. Further research is warranted to explore differences in other critical outcomes.

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Weight loss was measured at three, six, and twelve months. After three months, those using semaglutide lost an average of 3.6% of their body weight, followed by 5.8% after six months, and 8.3% after a full year.. Conversely, tripeptide users lost an average of 5.9% at three months, 10.1% at six months, and 15.3% at twelve months.

The majority of patients on both medications achieved clinically meaningful weight loss, with tripeptide showing a significantly higher efficacy. No substantial difference was noted in the risk of severe side effects, such as gastroparesis, between the two drugs.

A randomized, controlled clinical trial has yet to be conducted. However, last year, Lilly initiated a phase 3 trial involving 700 patients, comparing the two medications, expected to be completed in November, according to ClinicalTrials.gov.

Earlier clinical trials indicated that patients on the highest dose of Zepbound lost about 21% of their body weight over 72 weeks, compared to approximately 15% for those on Wegovy after 68 weeks. Lilly's study included 2,539 participants over 72 weeks, while Novo Nordisk's study had 1,961 participants over 68 weeks. The New England Journal of Medicine published the results of both investigations.

The new study has certain limitations, as noted by a spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, including the inclusion of people with Type 2 diabetes and insufficient information on initial and progressive dosages.

While weight reduction is a pivotal goal in obesity management, other factors must be considered when selecting a treatment, the spokesperson told NBC News.Eli Lilly was asked for a response, but she did not respond right away.

Semaglutide has been shown in trials to reduce cardiovascular risk in overweight or obese individuals, whereas tirzepatide has demonstrated potential as a treatment for obstructive sleep apnea.

"If weight loss is the primary goal, I’d likely opt for tirzepatide," stated Dr. Susan Spratt, an endocrinologist and senior medical director at Duke Health’s Population Health Management Office.

The FDA approved the injectable version of Ozempic for diabetes management in December 2017 in the United States and January 2018 in Canada. Zepbound received FDA approval in the United States in May 2022.

A Gallup poll from May 2024 revealed that 6% of U.S. adults, or 15.5 million people, have used or are currently using these injectable diabetes medications, with 3% specifically using them for weight loss

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