Tirzepatide and Weight Reduction Among Individuals without Evidence of Type 2 Diabetes: Descriptive Results from Optum’s De-Identified Market Clarity Data

OBJECTIVES: Tirzepatide is a once weekly glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist approved in the US for treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D) in May 2022 and obesity in November 2023. Tirzepatide showed substantial weight reduction vs placebo in adults with obesity or overweight in the phase 3 SURMOUNT clinical trials. We aimed to understand the impact of tirzepatide on weight reduction in the real-world among adults with obesity or overweight without T2D.

METHODS: This retrospective, descriptive, US claim-based study was conducted using Optum’s de-identified Market Clarity data. Index date was the date of first observed claim of tirzepatide (National Drug Code for Mounjaro) during the index period (May 13, 2022 – Dec 31, 2022). Demographic and clinical characteristics were assessed among adults (≥18 years) without a diagnosis of T2D, who were eligible for anti-obesity medication (BMI ≥30 kg/m² [obesity]; or BMI ≥27 kg/m² [overweight] with ≥1 weight-related comorbidity). Changes in weight were assessed among individuals who were persistent on tirzepatide for ≥6 months and had weight data at baseline and 6-months post-index.

RESULTS: Among the 1,117 adults who filled a prescription for tirzepatide, 68.1% (n=761) were persistent on tirzepatide for ≥6 months. Of these 761 individuals, the majority were female (76.4%), Caucasian (83.4%), had a mean age of 46.8 years, mean BMI of 38.8 kg/m², and mean weight of 110.14 kg (242.7 lbs). Hypertension (37.1%), dyslipidemia (35.5%), and prediabetes (24.4%) were the most common comorbidities and 66.9% of patients had ≥1 weight-related comorbidity. A total of 109 individuals had weight data available at baseline and 6-months post-index, of whom 79.8% had ≥5% weight reduction, 54.1% had ≥10% reduction, and 28.4% had ≥15% reduction at 6-months post-index.

CONCLUSIONS: Descriptive results suggest that tirzepatide use was associated with weight reduction in US adults with overweight or obesity and without T2D.