Three years of tirzepatide, and 94% fewer people crossed into diabetes

Tirzepatide reduced the risk of prediabetes turning into diabetes by 94% compared with a placebo, in the longest study run on the drug so far. More than 1,000 adults who were overweight or obese were followed for nearly three years, and those on any of three doses lost up to nearly 20% of their body mass.

Prediabetes is an enormous target and a mostly untreated one. About one in three people in the country has it, many without knowing, and 5% to 10% of them move on to diabetes each year. Tirzepatide works on two hormones tied to appetite and blood sugar, GLP-1 and GIP, so the effect runs through weight, insulin production and inflammation at once.

That 94% arrived in a company announcement rather than a peer-reviewed paper, which is a real distinction even when the trial behind it is well run. Earlier results from the same group, published in 2022 after one year, measured mostly weight. Among participants who stopped the weekly injection for 17 weeks, the figure slipped to 88%.

How long someone would need to keep taking it is still unknown, and so is how long the protection lasts after stopping. Until that evidence exists, turning any of this into a personal decision belongs with a qualified clinician who knows a person's health history.

Read the full story at Time Magazine ↗

Retatrutide is investigational and is not FDA-approved. Other medicines referenced here are covered as third-party news for educational awareness only. Catalyst does not present this information as medical advice, treatment guidance, or a claim of safety, efficacy, or approval.