New Ozempic alternative only needs to be taken once a month and leads to ‘substantial weight loss'
Patients taking the drug lost 16 per cent of their body fat over the course of a year
NO WEIGH New Ozempic alternative only needs to be taken once a month and leads to 'substantial weight loss'
A NEW weight loss jab that only needs to be taken once monthly leads to "substantial weight loss", according to early trials.
Drugs like Wegovy and Mounjaro - or diabetes jab Ozempic - need to be injected once weekly to see results.
Advertisement
1
A new weight loss jab currently being trialled only needs to be given once a month
Credit: PA
But a new drug currently being trialled by pharmaceutical company Amgen can be given once a month and saw users shed up to 16 per cent of their body weight over the course of a year.
This is bellow the 20 per cent weight loss than can be achieved through Mounjaro - dubbed the 'King Kong' of weight loss jabs - over 18 months.
But scientists behind the new trial said the less frequent dose schedule could encourage people to stick to the treatment.
The drug is called maridebart cafraglutide, or MariTide for short.
Advertisement
Like Wegoy, Mounjaro and Ozempic, it's a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, meaning it targets the GLP-1 receptors in the brain and pancreas to reduce appetite and control blood sugar.
But it also targets glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptors, which are also involved in managing insulin release, fat storage, metabolism, and appetite.
This is part of the reason the drug needs to be administered less often.
"In this phase two trial, once-monthly maridebart cafraglutide resulted in substantial weight reduction in participants with obesity with or without type 2 diabetes," they wrote in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Advertisement
"Once-monthly therapeutics for obesity may offer sustainable treatment for persons with this highly prevalent, chronic disease.
"Medication at less frequent intervals may improve adherence and reduce barriers, potentially facilitating improvements in long-term health outcomes."
I went on fat jabs but the hair loss was unbelievable so I quit - I'd rather be chubby with hair than skinny and bald
There were 592 people aged 18 or older enrolled in the study - 465 of them were obese, defined as having a BMI of 30 or more, or a BMI of 27 with one obesity-related complication.
The remaining participants had obesity as well as type 2 diabetes.
Advertisement
They were randomly given monthly maridebart cafraglutide injections or a placebo for a year, at dose of 140, 280, or 420 mg.
Some participants remained on a stable dose throughout, while others gradually worked up to a higher one.
Participants were asked to report any side effects they experienced from the drug, such as nausea, vomiting, retching, headaches, diarrhoea and constipation
Those with obesity lost 12.3 to 16.2 per cent of their body weight while taking maridebart cafraglutide over 52 weeks, compared to people taking a placebo who only lost 2.5 per cent of their weight.
Advertisement
As for people with diabetes and obesity, they lost 8.4 to 12.3 per cent of their body weight on the drug, compared to 1.7 per cent weight loss for placebo-takers.
Almost all participants taking maridebart cafraglutide experienced at least one side-effect from the drug - mild to moderate nausea, vomiting and retching were the most frequently reported side-effects.
These effects were less severe when participants gradually built up to a full dose of maridebart cafraglutide, which may be the best way to get people started on it in the future.
Advertisement
Everything you need to know about fat jabs
Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases.
Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK.
Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market.
Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year.
How do they work?
The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight.
They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists.
They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients' sugar levels are too high.
Can I get them?
NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics.
Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure.
GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss.
Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk.
Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health.
Are there any risks?
Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild.
Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at patient.info, said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.'
Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia.
Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health.
Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines.
Two deaths were reported in participants who received maridebart cafraglutide, but both were investigated and deemed unrelated to the drug.
A handful of people taking the drug reported gallbladder issues, which can also be an issue with other weight loss jabs.
Some also experienced depression and suicidal thoughts while participating in the trial. One person taking maridebart cafraglutide and one person on the placebo drug withdrew as a result.
This was a phase two clinical trial, meaning it still needs to be tested on a bigger group of participants over a longer time period.
Advertisement
Amgen deemed the results promising enough to progress to a phase three trial.
"This phase two dose-ranging trial investigating the efficacy and safety of maridebart cafraglutide, a long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist and GIP receptor antagonist administered once monthly or less frequently, showed substantial weight reduction and no new or unexpected safety signals, supporting advancement to phase three," researchers wrote.
They estimated MariTide could lead to even more weight loss, beyond a year of use.
"A weight plateau was not reached at 52 weeks, with weight continuing a downward trajectory," they noted.
Advertisement
"Therefore, longer-term trials are needed to assess the full weight efficacy of this agent."
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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Superdrug plans to add more stores as demand for weight-loss drugs soars
An increase in demand for weight-loss drugs, including Mounjaro and Wegovy, as well as demand among its generation Alpha customer base for beauty products is driving expansion at Superdrug. The retailer plans to add 25 more stores to its 800-plus strong chain this year as well as extending existing outlets, despite troubles across the high street that have led to the closure of hundreds of stores at its rival Boots and downsizing at chains from Poundland to River Island. Superdrug is bouncing back from difficult times during the pandemic as demand for its weight-loss services soared almost 300% in the first half of this year compared with last year. While many of the drugs are ordered online via its private GP service, the retailer is looking at how it can adapt and expand in-store services to cater to demand so that its team of nurses can offer help with the potential side-effects such as hair loss, for example. More serious issues, including problems with the pancreas, have also been flagged in some cases. 'For us it is good that people are getting healthier and fitter and that is really important,' said Simon Comins, the chief commercial officer at Superdrug, but those taking the drugs may want 'social interaction in store' to help discuss any issues they encounter. Superdrug, once the downmarket and dowdy rival to Boots, is also capitalising on the growth in the beauty market and its appeal to gen Alpha – people born from 2010 onwards – who are looking for in-store experiences as they head to the high street after school and on weekends. The retailer has made a conscious effort to gain youth appeal, catering to the generations influenced by TikTok and Instagram. Its latest gambit is the 'beauty playground' – tables kitted out with testers of the latest hot products, mirrors and ring lights for flattering social media snaps designed to appeal to tweens and teens. 'Generation Alpha is our focus,' says Comins, touring the first of 30 planned beauty playgrounds in the group's Westfield store in Stratford, east London. 'They often come as a 'squad' and they like the opportunity to touch and feel the products.' As much as clicking [to buy] on TikTok is easy and convenient, people want to browse in real life.' Even on a hot June lunchtime, a steady stream of young women are posing in front of the mirrors and testing out the products. The store has been extended by taking over two neighbouring outlets to give more space for experiences including a brow and nail bar, and piercing service. It is part of efforts to draw shoppers into physical stores rather than just buying online. Other services that have been tried include barbers and hairdressers and trained hundreds of pharmacists who can offer free consultations on skin conditions such as acne – the kind of service it may be difficult to access via a GP. Comins says Superdrug has a team that scans social media to pick up on the latest popular brands and has brought many into store including Geek & Gorgeous, Starface acne stickers, BPerfect cosmetics and the colourful Daise body care range appeals to tweenagers. Industry insiders say the demand for beauty and cosmetics brand has even diverted spend from toys and other traditional products bought by not-quite teenagers. Liz Tan, a senior strategist at the trends advisory firm WGSN, says 'Zalpha', the fringe generation that threads between gen Z and Alphas, are leading the beauty craze 'having grown up immersed in social media, with influencers and creators promoting beauty products online. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion 'Beauty brands are also increasing, building and establishing brand awareness, affiliation and emotional connection through digital playgrounds in gaming worlds like Roblox,' she says. These youngsters are also getting into skincare regimes at a much younger age then previous generations as 'health-conscious Millennial parents emphasise routine building as part of their daily lives'. Alex Beckett, senior research director at market research firm Mintel, adds that young consumers are prompting their parents to spend. 'Thanks to their exposure to social media, YouTube and Netflix, gen Alphas are exposed to trends and dopamine-raising crazes intended for older adults, and they're emulating them – essentially becoming hyper-informed consumers at an early age.' For its older customers, Superdrug's push into weight-loss services comes as thousands of patients in England are from this week able to access weight-loss jabs via their family GP. But the NHS rollout is limited to 220,000 people with the 'greatest need' and many more people are prepared to pay for private access, so demand from high street and online chemists is expected to continue. Recent figures from its rival Boots also indicated strong growth in pharmacy sales – up 5.4%, while its online service increased sales almost 15% in the three months to end 31 May, although the group did not break out the contribution from weight-loss drugs. Analysts at GlobalData said the chain was benefiting from demand for treatments for skin conditions such as acne, as part of a wider trend – being encouraged by government policy – towards visiting the pharmacy before trying the GP. Superdrug, which is owned by the Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison Holdings, is expanding after Debenhams – once one of the leading beauty retailers in the UK – left the high street and House of Fraser and John Lewis have closed stores.
Scottish Sun
3 hours ago
- Scottish Sun
New Ozempic alternative only needs to be taken once a month and leads to ‘substantial weight loss'
Patients taking the drug lost 16 per cent of their body fat over the course of a year NO WEIGH New Ozempic alternative only needs to be taken once a month and leads to 'substantial weight loss' A NEW weight loss jab that only needs to be taken once monthly leads to "substantial weight loss", according to early trials. Drugs like Wegovy and Mounjaro - or diabetes jab Ozempic - need to be injected once weekly to see results. Advertisement 1 A new weight loss jab currently being trialled only needs to be given once a month Credit: PA But a new drug currently being trialled by pharmaceutical company Amgen can be given once a month and saw users shed up to 16 per cent of their body weight over the course of a year. This is bellow the 20 per cent weight loss than can be achieved through Mounjaro - dubbed the 'King Kong' of weight loss jabs - over 18 months. But scientists behind the new trial said the less frequent dose schedule could encourage people to stick to the treatment. The drug is called maridebart cafraglutide, or MariTide for short. Advertisement Like Wegoy, Mounjaro and Ozempic, it's a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, meaning it targets the GLP-1 receptors in the brain and pancreas to reduce appetite and control blood sugar. But it also targets glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptors, which are also involved in managing insulin release, fat storage, metabolism, and appetite. This is part of the reason the drug needs to be administered less often. "In this phase two trial, once-monthly maridebart cafraglutide resulted in substantial weight reduction in participants with obesity with or without type 2 diabetes," they wrote in The New England Journal of Medicine. Advertisement "Once-monthly therapeutics for obesity may offer sustainable treatment for persons with this highly prevalent, chronic disease. "Medication at less frequent intervals may improve adherence and reduce barriers, potentially facilitating improvements in long-term health outcomes." I went on fat jabs but the hair loss was unbelievable so I quit - I'd rather be chubby with hair than skinny and bald There were 592 people aged 18 or older enrolled in the study - 465 of them were obese, defined as having a BMI of 30 or more, or a BMI of 27 with one obesity-related complication. The remaining participants had obesity as well as type 2 diabetes. Advertisement They were randomly given monthly maridebart cafraglutide injections or a placebo for a year, at dose of 140, 280, or 420 mg. Some participants remained on a stable dose throughout, while others gradually worked up to a higher one. Participants were asked to report any side effects they experienced from the drug, such as nausea, vomiting, retching, headaches, diarrhoea and constipation Those with obesity lost 12.3 to 16.2 per cent of their body weight while taking maridebart cafraglutide over 52 weeks, compared to people taking a placebo who only lost 2.5 per cent of their weight. Advertisement As for people with diabetes and obesity, they lost 8.4 to 12.3 per cent of their body weight on the drug, compared to 1.7 per cent weight loss for placebo-takers. Almost all participants taking maridebart cafraglutide experienced at least one side-effect from the drug - mild to moderate nausea, vomiting and retching were the most frequently reported side-effects. These effects were less severe when participants gradually built up to a full dose of maridebart cafraglutide, which may be the best way to get people started on it in the future. Advertisement Everything you need to know about fat jabs Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases. Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK. Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market. Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year. How do they work? The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight. They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists. They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients' sugar levels are too high. Can I get them? NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics. Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure. GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss. Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk. Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health. Are there any risks? Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild. Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea. Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.' Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia. Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health. Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines. Two deaths were reported in participants who received maridebart cafraglutide, but both were investigated and deemed unrelated to the drug. A handful of people taking the drug reported gallbladder issues, which can also be an issue with other weight loss jabs. Some also experienced depression and suicidal thoughts while participating in the trial. One person taking maridebart cafraglutide and one person on the placebo drug withdrew as a result. This was a phase two clinical trial, meaning it still needs to be tested on a bigger group of participants over a longer time period. Advertisement Amgen deemed the results promising enough to progress to a phase three trial. "This phase two dose-ranging trial investigating the efficacy and safety of maridebart cafraglutide, a long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist and GIP receptor antagonist administered once monthly or less frequently, showed substantial weight reduction and no new or unexpected safety signals, supporting advancement to phase three," researchers wrote. They estimated MariTide could lead to even more weight loss, beyond a year of use. "A weight plateau was not reached at 52 weeks, with weight continuing a downward trajectory," they noted. Advertisement "Therefore, longer-term trials are needed to assess the full weight efficacy of this agent."
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
New Ozempic alternative only needs to be taken once a month and leads to ‘substantial weight loss'
A NEW weight loss jab that only needs to be taken once monthly leads to "substantial weight loss", according to early trials. Drugs like Wegovy and Mounjaro - or diabetes jab Ozempic - need to be injected once weekly to see results. 1 But a new drug currently being trialled by pharmaceutical company Amgen can be given once a month and saw users shed up to 16 per cent of their body weight over the course of a year. This is bellow the 20 per cent weight loss than can be achieved through Mounjaro - dubbed the 'King Kong' of weight loss jabs - over 18 months. But scientists behind the new trial said the less frequent dose schedule could encourage people to stick to the treatment. The drug is called maridebart cafraglutide, or MariTide for short. Like Wegoy, Mounjaro and Ozempic, it's a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, meaning it targets the GLP-1 receptors in the brain and pancreas to reduce appetite and control blood sugar. But it also targets glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptors, which are also involved in managing insulin release, fat storage, metabolism, and appetite. This is part of the reason the drug needs to be administered less often. "In this phase two trial, once-monthly maridebart cafraglutide resulted in substantial weight reduction in participants with obesity with or without type 2 diabetes," they wrote in The New England Journal of Medicine. "Once-monthly therapeutics for obesity may offer sustainable treatment for persons with this highly prevalent, chronic disease. "Medication at less frequent intervals may improve adherence and reduce barriers, potentially facilitating improvements in long-term health outcomes." There were 592 people aged 18 or older enrolled in the study - 465 of them were obese, defined as having a BMI of 30 or more, or a BMI of 27 with one obesity-related complication. The remaining participants had obesity as well as type 2 diabetes. They were randomly given monthly maridebart cafraglutide injections or a placebo for a year, at dose of 140, 280, or 420 mg. Some participants remained on a stable dose throughout, while others gradually worked up to a higher one. Participants were asked to report any side effects they experienced from the drug, such as nausea, vomiting, retching, headaches, diarrhoea and constipation Those with obesity lost 12.3 to 16.2 per cent of their body weight while taking maridebart cafraglutide over 52 weeks, compared to people taking a placebo who only lost 2.5 per cent of their weight. As for people with diabetes and obesity, they lost 8.4 to 12.3 per cent of their body weight on the drug, compared to 1.7 per cent weight loss for placebo-takers. Almost all participants taking maridebart cafraglutide experienced at least one side-effect from the drug - mild to moderate nausea, vomiting and retching were the most frequently reported side-effects. These effects were less severe when participants gradually built up to a full dose of maridebart cafraglutide, which may be the best way to get people started on it in the future. Everything you need to know about fat jabs Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases. Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK. Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market. Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year. How do they work? The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight. They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists. They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients' sugar levels are too high. Can I get them? NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics. Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure. GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss. Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk. Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health. Are there any risks? Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild. Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea. Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.' Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia. Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health. Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines. Two deaths were reported in participants who received maridebart cafraglutide, but both were investigated and deemed unrelated to the drug. A handful of people taking the drug reported gallbladder issues, which can also be an issue with other weight loss jabs. Some also experienced depression and suicidal thoughts while participating in the trial. One person taking maridebart cafraglutide and one person on the placebo drug withdrew as a result. This was a phase two clinical trial, meaning it still needs to be tested on a bigger group of participants over a longer time period. Amgen deemed the results promising enough to progress to a phase three trial. "This phase two dose-ranging trial investigating the efficacy and safety of maridebart cafraglutide, a long-acting GLP-1 receptor agonist and GIP receptor antagonist administered once monthly or less frequently, showed substantial weight reduction and no new or unexpected safety signals, supporting advancement to phase three," researchers wrote. They estimated MariTide could lead to even more weight loss, beyond a year of use. they noted.
