The family of injectable drugs that help obese people lose weight just got a new addition: a Latin American lab just brought it to market this week Tirzepatide. This injectable medication has been approved by ANMAT for the treatment of obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus.
As explained by the directors of the Latin laboratory Adium – which markets this drug originally developed by the Eli Lilly company – “it is a new type of drug because, unlike the similar drugs currently on the market, tirzepatide acts on not one but two biochemical mechanisms of metabolism.”
The difference is that more kilos can be saved in the medium term.
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To date, there are several injectable drugs on the market that help control the weight of people with obesity and also help improve diabetes and other biological parameters.
These medications are known as “GLP-1 receptor agonists“But the novelty of the brand new drug is that it’s available this week marketed In Argentina, it acts not only as a “GLP-1 agonist,” but also as an agonist of another receptor called GIP. This acts as modulator adipose tissue metabolism and the energy efficiency of cells.
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Specifically, the following is achieved: a older people sustained weight loss over time, as if it were a single mechanism of action.
Greater gains when losing weight
Mónica Katz, obesity specialist and head of the postgraduate program in nutrition at Favaloro University, explained: “This molecule expands the range of options for treating obesity. However, it is more effective than what was previously available on the market.”
Who is it suitable for? It was approved Adult (over 18 years of age) with obesity or overweight who have at least one related health condition, and for people with type 2 diabetes who do not achieve adequate control with other treatments.
According to the work published in various studies of the laboratory, where compared This drug compared to other treatments over a period of three months to three years taking the different doses of tirzepatide Before treatment, they managed to lose between 22 and 25% of their weight.
“If the overweight person only changes their lifestyle (better diet and exercise), weight gains of between 3 and 5% of their weight are achieved. With the first drugs that came onto the market a few years ago, such as liraglutide, the loss percentage reached 8%. And more recently with SemaglutideThe percentage is between 16 and 18%. With the bypass Stomach the profit is 32%.
The difference between this new drug and the recently introduced semaglutide lies in the double effect it exerts: firstly, on the feeling of satiety and in reducing the amount of food consumed. But its second mechanism enhances the effect by acting on fatty tissue and helping to burn more fat.
On the other hand, the cardiologist Jorge Tartaglione explained that “these families of drugs work to bring about significant improvements in various cardiac parameters, which helps to prevent problems of this type; for example, they help reduce high blood pressure and reduce the concentration of triglycerides, lipids and cholesterol.”
Even, he added, in follow-up studies conducted over three years, it was found that this situation was reversed in a very high percentage of patients who had glucose parameters of “prediabetes” after chronic use of this drug.
And that’s not the only thing, as it also improved the health of patients with sleep apnea, heart failure and fatty liver disease.
Precautions to consider
Like other similar medications on the market, this new option also has some advantages Side effectsB. a certain feeling of nausea or diarrhea, but they assure that they are minor, as evidenced by the low dropout rates of the people who took part in the effectiveness and safety studies.
It has also been confirmed that, like other similar medications, there is a “rebound” effect that causes you to gain weight again when you stop taking them. However, experts emphasized that this “recovery” is not complete, but that weight loss continues to increase, even in those who stop taking this treatment, considered “chronic”.
The cost dilemma
Finally, this drug is not exempt problematic of the costs. As the laboratory explains, “the cost of the initial dose is approximately $580,000 per month (four injections). However, to make it more accessible – at least in the early days – the pharmaceutical company launched a program so that patients who start taking it have a… 30% discount, This puts the new drug more competitive with other options currently available on the market.
A doubt often expressed by people to whom their doctors recommend it – we must not forget that it is a drug that must be prescribed by a professional and that therefore requires regular monitoring of the patient – is: Do social and prepaid works cover this?
Javier Waisblat, head of the “Access” team at Adium, explained: “The company is currently negotiating with health insurers on the possibility of these new drugs coming to market in the short term.” Vade mecums of reporting.”
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