New obesity drug leads to greater weight loss than ingredient in Zepbound

READ MORE: Simple device can reduce risk of death for millions of Americans living with diabetes, study suggests Published: 14:12 EDT, 29 September 2026 | Updated: 14:31 EDT, 29 September 2026 A new obesity drug from pharma giant Novo Nordisk has been shown to lead to greater weight loss than a popular competitor medication, new research shows. The late-stage clinical trial REIMAGINE 5 studied Novo's CagriSema versus tirzepatide, the active ingredient in GLP-1s Mounjaro and Zepbound. The trial tested the drugs on patients with type 2 diabetes and found that people on 1mg of CagriSema per week experienced an average weight loss of 12.4 percent at 60 weeks.This is compared to a nine percent weight loss among people on 5mg of tizepetide weekly. CagriSema also resulted in greater blood sugar control for diabetics. In a separate phase 3 trial, CagriSema resulted in a 21 percent weight loss at 68 weeks in adults who were overweight or obese compared with a placebo. CagriSema, a once-weekly injection, contains a combination of the active drugs cagrilintide and semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, both of which are made by Novo Nordisk. Semaglutide mimics the natural gut hormone GLP-1 and slows down how fast food leaves your stomach, which helps you feel full longer and reduces your appetite. The new CagriSema injectable is seen as a successor to Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, which has its patent expiring in 2030 Cagrilintide is a long-acting synthetic version of the hormone amylin, which is used to help control blood sugar and body weight. It targets two regions in the brain involved in regulating hunger and feelings of fullness.When combined, the two medications can produce significant weight loss in people who are overweight or obese who do not have diabetes, according to research.Novo's Chief Scientific Officer Martin Holst Lange said: 'The results from CagriSema are very encouraging, demonstrating the strong potency of the combination of semaglutide and cagrilintide. 'With only 1.0 mg/1.0 mg, CagriSema shows superior weight loss versus tirzepatide 5 mg as well as strong results across obesity and type 2 diabetes.'It is worth noting, however, that dosing of tirzepatide can be increased to 10 mg or 15 mg, which may result in greater weight loss. The drug is not FDA approved yet but Novo has filed for approval and a decision from the FDA is expected later this year. Novo is targeting a market launch of CagriSema early next year. The new injectable is seen as a successor to Novo's Wegovy, which has its patent expiring in 2030. Roughly 12 percent of US adults are currently taking a GLP-1 drug for weight loss, diabetes or another condition and 18 percent said they had ever taken one, according to a KFF poll. One Gallup survey found 11 percent of US adults were currently taking one specifically for weight loss. For Novo's Wegovy specifically, injectable Wegovy had about 100,000 prescriptions written per week in 2024, with a peak of 200,000 in the summer of 2024 and early 2025. Then, the oral version launched earlier this year and now accounts for 30 percent of all Wegovy prescriptions. For Zepbound, it became the most-prescribed branded weight-management medication in the US by 2025.