Zepbound Beats Wegovy in the Weight-Loss Drugs’ First Head-to-Head Study – WSJ
If you’ve been keeping an eye on the latest weight loss breakthroughs, there’s a big headline you don’t want to miss: Zepbound (tirzepatide) just outperformed Wegovy (semaglutide) in a major clinical trial — and the results are hard to ignore.
Let’s break it down in a simple, no-jargon way so you can understand what this means, why it matters, and whether Zepbound could be the better option for you or someone you care about.
What is Zepbound and how does it compare to Wegovy?
Both Zepbound and Wegovy are prescription weight loss medications designed for adults with obesity or those who are overweight and have weight-related health issues.
- Zepbound works as a dual-action medication, targeting both GIP and GLP-1 receptors.
- Wegovy, on the other hand, is a single-action GLP-1 receptor agonist.
Here’s the game-changer: in the new SURMOUNT-5 trial, Zepbound didn’t just match Wegovy — it surpassed it in almost every way.
How much weight can you actually lose?
In this head-to-head trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the European Congress on Obesity, participants on Zepbound lost an average of 20.2% of their body weight, while those on Wegovy lost 13.7%. That’s a 47% greater weight reduction with Zepbound!
To put that in real numbers:
- 💊 Zepbound users lost an average of 50.3 lbs (22.8 kg)
- 💊 Wegovy users lost about 33.1 lbs (15.0 kg)
For a quick answer: “Is Zepbound better than Wegovy for weight loss?”
✔️ Yes. Based on SURMOUNT-5, Zepbound led to significantly more weight loss.
What about other benefits like waist size and major goals?
Great question! The trial also looked at key secondary goals, and Zepbound came out ahead again:
Goal | Zepbound | Wegovy |
| Lost ≥10% of body weight | 81.6% | 60.5% |
| Lost ≥15% of body weight | 64.6% | 40.1% |
| Lost ≥20% of body weight | 48.4% | 27.3% |
| Lost ≥25% of body weight | 31.6% | 16.1% |
| Waist circumference reduction | 18.4 cm (7.2 in) | 13.0 cm (5.1 in) |
#WeightLoss #Zepbound #Wegovy #ObesityTreatment #Tirzepatide