- A clinical trial patient said Mounjaro helped her lose over 100 pounds and maintain healthy habits.
- Also known as tirzepatide, it works similar to drugs like semaglutide by controlling appetite.
- Some evidence suggests it may be even more effective by targeting more hunger hormones.
A breakthrough drug called semaglutide, better known by the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, has been trending for its impressive weight-loss results since 2021, but a 47-year-old woman told Insider she’s lost more than 100 pounds on one drug. which might be even more effective.
Known as tirzepatide, or under the brand name Mounjaro, the drug has a similar action to semaglutide in helping regulate appetite, but a recent clinical study suggests patients could lose up to 5 percent more weight.
Tara Rothenhoefer, of Florida, was a patient in one of those studies and said she lost more than 100 pounds of tyrzepatide after a lifelong struggle with yo-yo dieting.
Rothenhoefer went from 342 to 210 pounds during the 18-month trial, and was later able to shed even more after getting a prescription once the trial was over.
“Mounjaro has completely changed my life,” she said. “The biggest benefit is reducing the noise from the food. I’ve learned that I don’t need to eat everything on my plate and I’ve never had that feeling before.”
Mounjaro works similar to Ozempic, but with an added effect
Tirzepatide is one of a class of drugs (including semaglutide) that act on a hormone called GLP-1, which controls appetite. The family of drugs can help patients feel fuller after eating and slow digestion, helping people lose weight by eating less.
The difference between tirzeaptide and semaglutide is that the former is known as a dual agonist, which means that it also acts on another insulin-related hormone called GIP. The additive effect may explain why some evidence suggests tirzepatide causes more weight loss than semaglutide.
Both drugs were originally designed to treat diabetes. However, semaglutide was approved for weight loss in 2021 under the brand name Wegovy, the version used to treat diabetes is called Ozempic, although that name has also become associated with weight loss thanks to social media trends. Tirzepatide is still in the process of receiving FDA approval as a weight-loss treatment, meaning it can’t be marketed for that purpose yet, although doctors can still prescribe it if they think it will help patients.
Rothenhoefer said the drug eliminated ‘eating noise’ and helped jump-start healthy habits
When Rothenhoefer joined the clinical trial in 2020, she was told upfront that she had a 25% chance of getting the drug instead of a placebo. You initially did not feel any difference after the first injection. Then, about three days later, she realized that the eating was offlost its charm.
From there, Rothenhoefer lost about 80 pounds in the first six months.
“Suddenly, I realized I wasn’t hungry, nor was I thinking about food,” she said.
But his success has not been without effort. She meticulously followed a nutritionist’s advice during the clinical trial, eating smaller portions, getting more protein and moving more frequently. The difference about her was that she no longer felt deprived of her new routine than she was or overwhelmingly tempted by foods such as cakes, cookies, or donuts, or persistent thoughts about eating sometimes known as “food noise.”
While some people taking tyrzepatide and similar drugs struggle with side effects including stomach cramps, nausea, or diarrhea, she said they’ve only had headaches and minor gastrointestinal issues that cleared up after a week or two of starting the injections. weekly.
Rothenhoefer said that before taking the drug, she had struggled with her weight and diet for decades. She started her first diet program, Weight Watchers, at age 13, and then spent years on and off, losing weight only to gain it back again. She has had similar experiences with other weight loss strategies such as following a low-carb, high-fat keto diet and taking phentermine, an appetite-suppressing drug.
“Every time you get back what you’ve lost, and a little bit more,” he said.
The cost of Mounjaro could make it out of reach for many patients
When the trial Rothenhoefer was a part of wrapped up in October 2021, he was just short of his goal weight of 200 pounds. Without the drug, she found that her weight was slowly gaining again, gaining 18 pounds over the year until she was able to access tyrzepatide again through an online prescriber.
Now that he’s lost a total of 176 pounds, Rothenhoefer said he may soon be unable to afford tirzepatide. With a major manufacturer’s discount, he’s now paying $25 a month, which will rise to over $1,000 a month when the coupon expires in June.
However, she is not interested in other drugs such as semaglutide: “When I already had the best, why would I go back?” she said.
Patients who stop taking tirzepatide and similar drugs will regain the weight they lost, obesity medicine experts previously told Insider.
To help buy himself more time, Rothenhoefer said he ordered the maximum amount possible (a four-week supply every three weeks) to rack up the extra.
She hopes to eventually transition from it and maintain her weight through healthy habits, knowing it could be an ongoing challenge.
“I don’t want to be on it forever. I’m generally not a drug user. I don’t even like taking a Tylenol,” she said. “I never see myself being the person I was three years ago, but I know it will be a daily struggle for the rest of my life.”
Rothenhoefer also hoped others would benefit from hearing his story and his part in the clinical trial, which helped propel tyrzepatide into the next stage of eventual FDA approval for weight loss.
“It took people like me to put myself out there for it to be available to anyone else. If it didn’t take a leap of faith, I wouldn’t even know what I was missing,” she said.
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