‘Mounjaro’ is a trade or brand name for a medicine whose active ingredient is ‘tirzepatide’. Tirzepatide is a natural compound found in the body. It helps perform several important bodily functions. It is a compound that mimics a class of hormones called ‘glucagon-like peptide-1’ or ‘GLP-1’. However, it also mimics the effect of another class of hormones called ‘glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide’ or ‘GIP’. Thus, its ability to mimic two different types of hormones is unique.

Medical experts have known about and studied GLP-1-mimicking compounds for some time. It is this research that led to the discovery of tirzepatide. Initial research and data indicated that tirzepatide could help people with diabetes manage their symptoms. Specifically, its action made it suitable for treating Type 2 diabetes. However, growing evidence indicates that tirzepatide can help people manage their weight.

‘Wegovy’ is a trade or brand name for a weight-management medicine whose active ingredient is ‘semaglutide’. Semaglutide is a natural compound that can perform several important bodily functions. Like tirzepatide, semaglutide mimics the action of the GLP-1 class of hormones. However, it cannot mimic the effects of GIP hormones in the body. However, this inability to mimic GIP hormones does not make it less effective than tirzepatide.

Like many other compounds that help people manage their weight , semaglutide started as a diabetes drug. Its ability to mimic the effects of GLP-1 hormones helps semaglutide manage and control the symptoms of diabetes. One of the first drugs that used semaglutide was called ‘Ozempic’. However, it has health benefits beyond managing type 2 diabetes. Several studies indicate that semaglutide can help people manage their weight as well.

Thus, more research and data came out in support of semaglutide’s weight management benefits. In 2021, only four years after Ozempic came out, the market saw the first semaglutide-based medicines for weight management.

The brain is responsible for controlling and managing the human body. It does so using a variety of control mechanisms, one of which is the body’s hormone system. These hormones regulate various bodily functions, including digestion and metabolism. Glucagon-like peptide-1, also called GLP-1, are a class of hormones that help regulate these digestive and metabolic processes.

Research suggests that elevated GLP-1 levels indicate to the brain that its appetite is full. Thus, it helps regulate food intake. However, experts believe that some people’s brains may be immune to GLP-1. In other cases, their bodies do not produce enough GLP-1 for their brains to register their signals. Such people are prone to overeating as their brains cannot tell when they are full. Medicines like Mounjaro and Wegovy can help such people rein in their appetites.

Tirzepatide and semaglutide have different effects on the body. Tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro, mimics the effect of GLP-1 and GIP hormones. Semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy, only mimics the effect of GLP-1 hormones. Thus, tirzepatide is also called a ‘twincreatin’ medicine as it mimics two hormone groups.

Scientific trials involving placebos and controls show promising results for tirzepatide. People taking tirzepatide lost, on average, 22% of their starting weight. People participating in these trails also undertook important lifestyle changes. They ate a healthier diet and improved their exercise routine.

Similar trials for semaglutide also gave positive results for weight management. People who coupled semaglutide doses with better diets and exercises lost about 15% of their initial weight.

Tirzepatide and semaglutide have similar effects on the human body. This similarity also extends to their possible side effects. Both tirzepatide and semaglutide can produce a range of possible side effects in people. These side effects depend on various factors, such as interactions with other medicines or drugs. Side effects may also come about due to underlying biological factors.

Here is a short list of some of the possible side effects of these prescription medicines:
●    Nausea and vomiting.
●    Severely depressed/suppressed appetite.
●    Stomach pains, cramps, and diarrhea.
●    Low blood glucose, especially in people with Type 2 diabetes.
●    Acute diseases in digestive tract organs and thyroid issues.