A new weight loss jab is set to be approved for use in the UK for patients with conditions such as diabetes or heart disease.
Tirzepatide, manufactured by Eli Lilly, can help patients lose an average of two-and-a-half stone, according to medical trials, and could be offered to up to 12 million people on the NHS to help tackle obesity.
The drug, which is taken as a weekly injection, has been tested on 938 obese or overweight adults with type 2 diabetes.
During the 18-month trial, those on the highest dose of the drug lost on average 15.7 per cent of their body weight (34lb). Adults given the placebo who followed diet and exercise advice lost only 7lb.
Drug manufacturer Eli Lilly said it was seeking approval from UK medical regulators for use of the drug. Tirzepatide has been approved in the US under the brand name Mounjaro to treat type 2 diabetes, but is not licensed in the UK.
It comes after the weight loss jab semaglutide, also known as Ozempic or Wegovy, was approved for use on the NHS earlier this year.
Both drugs mimic the hormone GLP-1, which suppresses appetite, but Tirzepatide also mimics the hormone GIP, which helps the body break down sugar.
Semaglutide is currently licenced in the UK under the brand name Ozempic to help treat diabetes but has the side effect of losing weight.
If approved, it is reportedly due to go on sale in the UK in the spring and will be sold in Boots. Users shed an average of 16 per cent of their body weight in the year after they start taking it.
Twitter owner Elon Musk has admitted using the drug, while Kim Kardashian is rumoured to have used Semaglutide to lose 16 pounds to fit into a dress at the Met Gala once worn by Marilyn Monroe.
Facial ageing has been labelled as a side effect of Ozempic.
Dr Kunal Gulati, from Lilly, said: “Preventing obesity [now] is a key focus but it’s also vitally important that we continue to develop future treatments. Lilly is committed to developing innovative solutions to help people living with obesity and will continue to work with regulators, the health service and other agencies so that people in the UK can benefit from treatments as they become available.”
UK surgeons have warned that a rise in the use of slimming jabs could lead to an increase in unsafe treatment for tummy tucks and surgery to remove excess skin.
