India’s apex drug regulator, the Central Drug Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has approved Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide, which is an active ingredient in Mounjaro and Zepbound. Tirzepatide has GLP-1 agonists present in it which mimics a natural hormone in the body that regulates appetite and blood sugar. This reduces your food intake and eventually helps in weight loss. Tirzepatide also has a second hormone called GIP which helps to improve how the body breaks down sugar and fat.

Earlier this year, Eli Lilly said that the company expected to introduce Mounjaro, its widely acclaimed diabetes and weight loss medication in the Indian market as early as next year. Speaking to Reuters, CEO David Ricks said that this launch depends on the successful completion of an ongoing regulatory review process.

Both Zepbound and Mounjaro are the same medication and have Tirzepatide present in them. They are marketed under different brand names for different reasons. Mounjaro is prescribed for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, whereas, Zepbound is prescribed for weight management in adults with obesity or overweight.

CDSCO has approved the import of single-dose vials and pre-filled pens of the injectable drug in six different doses which range from 2.5 mg to 12.5 mg, said a report in The Indian Express. This approval is based on two global clinical trials, which also included a significant number of Indians. In a trial of adults without type 2 diabetes, those on the highest dose of Tirzepatide lost an average of 18 per cent of their body weight in 72 weeks. And, in a trial among those with diabetes, participants lost an average of 12 per cent of their body weight.

Not just blood sugar management and weight loss, these drugs are also known to have several other benefits, one of them being sleep apnoea.

A recent study found that popular obesity and diabetes drugs can help to treat sleep apnoea. Sleep apnoea is a sleep disorder wherein an individual stops breathing when asleep. The new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine says that Tirzepatide which is the medication in Zepbound and Mounjaro can help to reduce the severity of sleep apnoea.

The study included 500 people who were diagnosed with obesity and sleep apnoea. Half of these people used the CPAP machine that provides oxygen through a mask to keep airways open during sleep. The other half were people who couldn’t tolerate the CPAP machine. The study revealed that patients in both groups who took Tirzepatide saw a reduction in the number of episodes per hour in which their breathing slowed or stopped completely during sleep by about half to nearly 60%, compared to about 10% in people who got a dummy drug.

GLP-1 drugs when combined with SGLT2 inhibitors helped to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. The study found that when compared to a placebo, an SGLT2 reduced the risk of heart attack and stroke by 11% and hospitalization for heart failure or cardiovascular death by 23%. The effects on kidney disease progression were even better; an SGLT2 reduced risk by 33% compared to a placebo.