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FDA Approves Lilly's Zepbound (Tirzepatide) for Chronic Weight Management

investor.lilly.com

21–30 of 95 posts

Re: FDA Approves Lilly's Zepbound (Tirzepatide) for Chronic Weight Management

#21
post #5

Can't wait for the day semaglutide and tirzepatide are available as generics

As I understand it, as the patents begin to expire, they suddenly discover that the old formulation has serious side effects that make it too dangerous to keep making. And oh, by the way, we also happen to be introducing a very very very slightly different molecule that qualifies for a brand new patent. No side effects this time, we promise, and see you in 20 years.

> they suddenly discover that the old formulation has serious side effects that make it too dangerous to keep making.

Who is they?

> And oh, by the way, we also happen to be introducing a very very very slightly different molecule that qualifies for a brand new patent

Presuming “we” is the companies that own the current patent, what does this have to do with the older molecule’s patent that is expiring?

Re: FDA Approves Lilly's Zepbound (Tirzepatide) for Chronic Weight Management

#23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This cannot be understated. Obesity is being changed from a willpower problem to a chronic disease that is treatable. The follow-on effects of this are huge.

What are the side effects? There's never a free lunch with biological systems...

Free lunches are part of the problem that led us here in the first place.

Re: FDA Approves Lilly's Zepbound (Tirzepatide) for Chronic Weight Management

#24
post #12

This is definitely a historic moment in US public health. Today we look at photos and marvel at how prevalent smoking was 50 years ago (in restaurants, in hospitals, in airplanes, etc.). 40 years from now people will look at photos from the last decade and be in disbelief at how widespread obesity was.

It also hopefully opens up the door to responsibly talk about how obesity will shorten your life significantly. There isn't a concept of "healthy obesity" when you look at your body's bloodwork. My buddy lost a friend who was only 38 due to complications from morbid obesity. It was tragic.

Cheap, effective interventions like this are incredible for our future populace.

Re: FDA Approves Lilly's Zepbound (Tirzepatide) for Chronic Weight Management

#25
post #12

This is definitely a historic moment in US public health. Today we look at photos and marvel at how prevalent smoking was 50 years ago (in restaurants, in hospitals, in airplanes, etc.). 40 years from now people will look at photos from the last decade and be in disbelief at how widespread obesity was.

This cannot be understated. Obesity is being changed from a willpower problem to a chronic disease that is treatable. The follow-on effects of this are huge.

Any good studies yet on direct causal factors linking the American diet to (what I presume would be called) glucagon insufficiency?

Re: FDA Approves Lilly's Zepbound (Tirzepatide) for Chronic Weight Management

#26
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As I understand it, as the patents begin to expire, they suddenly discover that the old formulation has serious side effects that make it too dangerous to keep making. And oh, by the way, we also happen to be introducing a very very very slightly different molecule that qualifies for a brand new patent. No side effects this time, we promise, and see you in 20 years.

> they suddenly discover that the old formulation has serious side effects that make it too dangerous to keep making. Who is they? > And oh, by the way, we also happen to be introducing a very very very slightly different molecule that qualifies for a brand new patent Presuming “we” is the companies that own the current patent, what does this have to do with the older molecule’s patent that is expiring?

> Presuming “we” is the companies that own the current patent, what does this have to do with the older molecule’s patent that is expiring?

"Evergreening" is a very common practice among pharmaceutical companies. In its purest form, it looks like this:

* About 10 years after a drug has been approved, they will seek approval for a replacement version which is very similar, but different enough to qualify for a different patent.

* Then they have a few years to get everyone onto the new drug, claiming that the new one is safer, or more effective, or (in some cases) that the original one is horribly dangerous or has abuse potential which is somehow solved with the new drug[0].

* Around 15 years after the first drug was first approved, once enough people are on the second drug, they'll withdraw the first one from the market entirely, forcing everyone still using the first drug to switch to the second.

* Then, when the patent for the first drug expires (year 17), there's "no market" for it, because nobody is currently prescribed that drug, so no manufacturers will bother producing any generic versions of it.

Rinse and repeat.

[0] Heroin™ was one of the first examples of this: it was developed and marketed by Bayer as a "less addictive" version of morphine.

Re: FDA Approves Lilly's Zepbound (Tirzepatide) for Chronic Weight Management

#27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This cannot be understated. Obesity is being changed from a willpower problem to a chronic disease that is treatable. The follow-on effects of this are huge.

What are the side effects? There's never a free lunch with biological systems...

It slows down gastric emptying as one of the primary ways it helps people feel full longer, so there a slew of possible GI side effects (nausea, constipation, diarrhea). In general they are manageable due to being able to adjust dosages to where patients still lose significant weight and minimize the impact of those side effects.

Re: FDA Approves Lilly's Zepbound (Tirzepatide) for Chronic Weight Management

#28

Lilly's also working on retatrutide, that has 3 targets in addition to the two that this drug targets. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/...

What is the gold standard currently? Like phentermine or diethylpropion? Or is it actually Ozempic?

Re: FDA Approves Lilly's Zepbound (Tirzepatide) for Chronic Weight Management

#29

This appears to be a GIP and GLP-1 agonist. Recently I read there might be some severe side effects with this class of med in diabetic and non-diabetic patients: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-10-links-popular-weight-... But its still pretty exciting.

Liraglutide has been approved since 2010.

It is a GLP-1 agonist as well and is considered a well-tolerated, long-term weight loss agent.

Re: FDA Approves Lilly's Zepbound (Tirzepatide) for Chronic Weight Management

#30

Lilly's also working on retatrutide, that has 3 targets in addition to the two that this drug targets. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/...

What is the gold standard currently? Like phentermine or diethylpropion? Or is it actually Ozempic?

Of FDA approved medications for weight loss, tirzepatide would be the current gold standard.

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa2107519

I think retatrutide might be the current leader for weight loss from clinical trials.

If I remember correctly, you lost the same amount of weight on retatrutide vs tirzepatide, but over a shorter time span.

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