A new weight loss hit dubbed ‘Godzilla’ could be the best yet, research suggests.
Exciting trials of the drug, retatrutide, revealed that it helped people lose a quarter of their body weight in less than a year.
Unlike other slimming injections, retatrutide It not only suppresses appetite but also speeds up metabolism.
However, is it the most effective? A fascinating chart from MailOnline demonstrates exactly how it stacks up against its rivals.
Semaglutide
Semaglutide, sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, mimics a hormone called GLP-1 that makes people feel full.
Ozempic is currently only available on the NHS to control blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Its spectacular slimming effects, demonstrated in trials and real-life scenarios, caused doctors and pharmacists to distribute it “off-label” to people who wanted to lose weight.
However, health chiefs have repeatedly urged against it due to supply problems, warning it would put the lives of diabetics at risk.
Wegovy, which contains the same active ingredient, was approved last year specifically for weight loss. Although it is also being affected by global shortages.
Trials pivotal to the approval of Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide show that it can help users lose up to 15 percent of their body weight in 68 weeks.
A month’s supply is available privately from the likes of Boots and Superdrug for around £200.
Eligibility criteria for people wanting to get the drug on the NHS (for the standard prescription price of £9.90 in England) are strict.
And medications are not without side effects.
Users often complain of nausea, constipation, and diarrhea after taking the medication.
tirzepatide
Mounjaro, as it is known, also mimics GLP-1, as well as a second hormone that controls appetite called GIP.
Studies have found that the drug, manufactured by US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, could help obese people lose up to 22.5 per cent of their body weight in 72 weeks.
It is self-injected once a week, just like semaglutide.
The marked difference in results led Dr. Julio Rosenstock, an American diabetes expert, to declare Mounjaro “King Kong” compared to rival Wegovy’s “gorilla.”
Some patients already taking the drug have shared their results on social media, and one overweight man claimed it helped him lose 100 pounds (45.4 kg).
Like semaglutide, side effects of tirzepatide (the generic name for Mounjaro) include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting (which usually goes away over time), and constipation.
Was received the green light from the National Institute for Excellence in Health and Healthcare (Nice) to National Health Service Use in September for patients with type 2 diabetes who do not have the condition under control.
Health services do not yet use it for obesity.
But in February it became available privately in Britain, with clinics charging around £40 for a week’s supply.
retatrutide
Meanwhile, retatrutide adds a third hormone called glucagon, which causes the body to burn more fat, increasing the rate of calorie burning.
The results of the trial, presented yesterday at the European Obesity Congress in Venice, showed that it achieved an even greater average weight loss (24 percent of body weight) in a shorter period of 48 weeks.
Their phase two study with 338 obese people also found that the results were even clearer in women, helping them lose 28.5 percent of their body weight.
In comparison, men lost an average of 21.2 percent.
And the most obese participants lost an even greater percentage of their body weight, 26.5 percent over 48 weeks.
Unusually, 100 percent of trial participants lost at least 5 percent.
Like all previous GLP-1 drugs, retatrutide (taken once a week) It has caused side effects including nausea, diarrhea and constipation.
But the study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that the drug had other health benefits as well.
Participants saw significant improvements in blood pressure and blood sugar levels. Four out of ten participants were able to stop taking high blood pressure medications.
Manufactured by American pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, larger trials are now underway with results expected in 2026.
This means the treatment could be available on the NHS in around three years, pending the latest regulatory hurdles.
According to the latest data, digestive problems were the most common side effects of tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro. These included about one in five participants who suffered from nausea and diarrhea, and about one in 10 reported vomiting or diarrhea.
Orlistate
Orlistat is a weight loss pill that is now available on the NHS.
Taken up to three times a day with meals, it prevents the digestive system from absorbing fats.
Instead, undigested fat leaves the body as feces.
While this prevents people from gaining more weight, it doesn’t help them lose it on its own.
Side effects include greasy or oily poop, oily discharge from the rectum, and high levels of flatulence.
Manufactured by pharmaceutical giant Roche, early studies suggest that patients taking 120mg could lose up to 10.3kg in 52 weeks.
Its prescription on the NHS is limited to those who are obese or overweight and have another health problem such as high blood pressure.
Marketed under the brand Saxenda, the self-administered daily jab is another weight loss treatment now available on the health service.
Liraglutide
Marketed under the brand Saxenda, the self-administered daily jab is another weight loss treatment now available on the health service.
It works similarly to semaglutide by altering the body’s metabolism, making people feel fuller and less hungry.
This leads them to eat less and, in theory, lose weight.
Saxenda, however, is one of several similar drugs that are experiencing supply shortages globally.
Liraglutide is usually only prescribed on the NHS after a GP referral to a specialist weight loss management service and when orlistat has not worked.
Side effects include aches and pains, diarrhea, fever, frequent urination, and difficulty sleeping.
Manufactured by Novo Nordisk, trials have found that users lose an average of 6.4 percent of their body weight over 68 weeks.