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Pharmacy Tirzepatide

A plain-numbers reading desk for the tirzepatide trial record — what SURPASS-2 and SURMOUNT-5 measured head-to-head against semaglutide.

Tirzepatide Weight Loss: How Much People Lost

How much Tirzepatide weight loss studies found

For weight loss, tirzepatide is a weekly prescription shot. This page shows how much weight people lost in two large studies.

In the weight study SURMOUNT-1, people had obesity but not diabetes. At the highest dose of 15 mg, average tirzepatide weight loss was 20.9% over 72 weeks. The placebo group got a shot with no tirzepatide and lost 3.1%. At that average, someone starting at 250 pounds would lose about 52 pounds. Your result could be quite different.

The direct study SURMOUNT-5 compared tirzepatide with semaglutide in 751 people with obesity. Average loss was 20.2% with tirzepatide and 13.7% with semaglutide. Tirzepatide led by about 6.5 percentage points of body weight. Those were large changes beside older weight-loss drugs. The sections below explain each number. Your starting weight and health can change the result.

Tirzepatide weight loss in the study SURMOUNT-1

The 72-week study SURMOUNT-1 followed 2,539 adults with obesity and no diabetes [4]. Their height-to-weight number was at least 30, or 27 with another weight-linked illness. Neither they nor the staff knew who got tirzepatide. The other group got a placebo, which contains no tirzepatide.

Weekly tirzepatide doses were 5, 10, or 15 mg. Everyone began at 2.5 mg and raised the dose over 20 weeks.

Average body-weight change at week 72:

  • Tirzepatide 5 mg: −15.0%
  • Tirzepatide 10 mg: −19.5%
  • Tirzepatide 15 mg: −20.9%
  • Placebo: −3.1%

Share of people losing at least 5%:

  • 5 mg: 85%
  • 10 mg: 89%
  • 15 mg: 91%
  • Placebo: 35%

Share of people losing at least 20%:

  • 5 mg: 30%
  • 10 mg: 50%
  • 15 mg: 57%
  • Placebo: 3%

Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and constipation were the most common problems. Most were mild or fair and began while doses rose. Side effects led 4.3% on 5 mg, 7.1% on 10 mg, and 6.2% on 15 mg to stop. The placebo figure was 2.6% [4]. Your own loss could be far from these averages.

Tirzepatide weight loss in the study SURMOUNT-1

SURMOUNT-5: Tirzepatide weight loss against semaglutide

A direct weight study called SURMOUNT-5 tested tirzepatide against semaglutide for weight loss. It followed 751 adults with obesity and no type 2 diabetes for 72 weeks [5]. This was a large late study, and each person knew which drug was given.

Both drugs rose to the most medicine each person could take. Tirzepatide was 10 or 15 mg. Semaglutide was 1.7 or 2.4 mg.

Average body-weight change at week 72:

  • Tirzepatide: −20.2%
  • Semaglutide: −13.7%
  • Difference: about 6.5 percentage points of body weight

Tirzepatide also cut more from the waist. More people reached every mark studied: at least 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25% weight loss. People also reported more help with movement and general health [37].

The tirzepatide vs semaglutide page adds blood-sugar findings from SURPASS-2. Your prescriber can help weigh the result against side effects.

How Tirzepatide weight loss may happen

Tirzepatide may lower weight in three ways that work together through two gut hormones.

  1. You feel less hungry. Both hormone actions can curb hunger in the brain. Hormone 1 may also ease nausea from the other action, which may let some people bear more medicine [10].
  1. You may eat less. People often say thoughts about food grow quieter. Food also stays in your stomach longer, so a meal may fill you longer [1].
  1. Your body may handle fat better. Hormone 1 may help store fat away from organs. It may also help insulin work, even apart from weight loss [10].

Weight loss doesn't come only from fat. A body-scan part of one study found about 25% of lost weight was lean tissue. About 75% was fat at 15 mg. Studies are testing whether strength work can help keep muscle during care [21][23]. You can ask how your care will protect strength.

What a five-year UK Tirzepatide study may show

A UK phase 4 study will run for five years and follow tirzepatide after approval. It uses linked medical records in Greater Manchester, UK. About 3,000 people were split 1:1 between two groups, so the groups began the same size. One gets tirzepatide with usual care. The other gets usual care alone.

The first result will be body-weight change at month 24. Other checks include new type 2 diabetes through month 60, illnesses tied to obesity, daily life, health-care use, and work [38]. The study may show how tirzepatide works in routine National Health Service care. Results aren't ready yet.

The Tirzepatide references page lists the paper and explains how the study was run. You can bring the final findings to your prescriber once published.