![FDA approves Zepbound, new weight loss drug](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2023/11/08/ap23123535683142-e761acd1c1702097c6f1f390f50b54982150ab8c-s1800-c85.webp)
An obesity drug called Zepbound won approval for use in adults from the Food and Drug Administration Wednesday, ushering in a new rival to Novo Nordisk's blockbuster Wegovy.
Eli Lilly & Co., maker of Zepbound, says it shows greater weight loss at a lower list price than Wegovy. The Lilly drug will be available in the U.S. by the end of the year. A version of the shot, known generically as tirezepatide, is already sold as Mounjaro to treat Type 2 diabetes.
The Lilly drug works by acting on two hormone receptors in the brain, including one called GLP-1, short for glucagon-like peptide-1 – that regulate appetite and metabolism.
The new class of medicines for managing obesity that includes Zepbound and Wegovy has given people with obesity and overweight a potent option for treatment. But the drugs are expensive, and many people who lose weight regain it after stopping the medicines.