FDA Approves Zepbound as a New Weight-Loss Drug

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide medication, which is branded as Mounjaro for diabetes, under a new brand for weight loss as well. Mounjaro had already been used by some patients “off-label” for weight loss, but with the new FDA approval, the drug can be officially sold and marketed as tirzepatide — branded as Zepbound — for weight loss as well.

FDA’s approval of Zepbound was partially based on a trial of adults without diabetes, which found that participants — who averaged 231 pounds at the start of the trial — who were given the highest approved dose lost around 18 percent of their body weight compared to placebo. Zepbound carries the risk of an array of potential side effects, according to FDA, including nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation and hair loss.