Overview
- A JAMA Internal Medicine analysis of the Surmount-4 trial found that 82% of responders regained at least a quarter of their weight loss within a year of discontinuing tirzepatide.
- Participants who regained more weight saw greater reversals in waist circumference, LDL cholesterol, blood pressure and blood glucose, with those regaining 75% or more returning to baseline cardiometabolic levels by week 88.
- The randomized withdrawal study gave all participants tirzepatide for 36 weeks with lifestyle support before assigning them to continue treatment or switch to placebo, with the post-withdrawal analysis focused on 308 people who had lost at least 10%.
- Some authors on the paper are affiliated with Eli Lilly, Mounjaro’s manufacturer, which is disclosed in the publication.
- NICE and independent experts highlight the need for long-term management after medication cessation, and separate observational research flags possible pregnancy risks after stopping GLP-1/GIP drugs, though causation is unproven; UK media also report planned NHS prescribing to around 220,000 people over three years.