Is a Small GLP-1 Dose Effective for Weight Loss?
People taking popular GLP-1 obesity drugs who remain on low starter doses will lose some weight but may still experience side effects, although significantly less nausea than those who graduate to higher manufacturer-recommended doses, a new study suggests. And they are unlikely to experience the double-digit weight-loss percentages seen with the higher doses, the study found.
The GLP-1 drugs semaglutide, sold as Ozempic and Wegovy by Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO), and Eli Lilly’s (LLY.N) tirzepatide, sold under the brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound, are prescribed initially at a low dose followed by gradual titration to higher doses, to help the body adjust and minimize side effects. Many patients never achieve the recommended maintenance dose due to tolerability, access, cost, supply or their individual goals.
Researchers analyzed data on 534 patients who continued to take injectable semaglutide at the 0.25-milligram starter dose for at least six months, and the same number of patients who stayed on tirzepatide at the 2.5-mg starter dose for at least that long.
Excerpted from Reuters
