GLP-1 weight loss drugs effective even at low starter doses
A new study indicates that patients taking low starter doses of GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro still experience measurable weight loss. While these doses result in less weight loss than higher maintenance doses, they also cause fewer side effects like nausea.
Why it matters
This research provides patients and doctors with more flexibility in managing weight loss treatment, potentially improving adherence for those who struggle with high-dose side effects.
People taking popular GLP-1 obesity drugs who remain on low starter doses will lose some weight but may still experience side effects, although significantly less nausea than those who graduate to higher manufacturer-recommended doses, a new study suggests.
And they are unlikely to experience the double-digit weight-loss percentages seen with the higher doses, the study found.
The GLP-1 drugs semaglutide, sold as Ozempic and Wegovy by Novo Nordisk, and Eli Lilly's tirzepatide, sold under the brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound, are prescribed initially at a low dose followed by gradual titration to higher doses, to help the body adjust and minimize side effects.
Many patients never achieve the recommended maintenance dose due to tolerability, access, cost, supply or their individual goals.
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