Nearly 32% of Zepbound users lost at least a quarter of their body weight, compared with about 16% of Wegovy users. In both groups, weight loss was about 6% lower in men than in women, AP said. Both groups saw health improvements in blood pressure, blood sugar and blood fat levels, too.

Both Wegovy and Mounjaro are given as weekly injections via pre-filled pens that can be self-administered into the upper arm, thigh or stomach. They work as an appetite suppressant by mimicking a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). This is an intestinal hormone which is released after eating, and typically makes people feel fuller.

Eli Lilly said on Sunday its drug Zepbound was superior to Novo Nordisk's Wegovy across five weight-loss targets such as reducing waist circumference, citing data from a head-to-head trial. The data is the first head-to-head trial comparing the wildly popular medicines,