Health care professionals optimistic as tirzepatide approved for obesity treatment
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Key takeaways:
- Tirzepatide (Zepbound, Eli Lilly) was approved by the FDA for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight.
- Health care professionals’ social media comments on this news were “enthusiastic.”
An analysis of global conversations involving more than 1,600 health care professionals on social media in November has revealed collective optimism in response to the approval of a new weight-management option for adults with obesity.
Eli Lilly’s Zepbound was approved by the FDA on Nov. 8. Tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Zepbound, is already approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes under the name Mounjaro. Health care professionals (HCPs) were enthusiastic about the news, envisioning Zepbound as a powerful new treatment option for patients. Several HCPs also noted that the new drug was 20% cheaper than the similar weight-loss drug Wegovy (semaglutide, Novo Nordisk), which they believed could go some way to increasing access and sustaining lower prices more broadly.
Discussion related to the approval of Zepbound proved one part of a broader 14% increase in the number of mentions by HCPs relating to new pharmaceutical product launches and drug approvals in comparison to October’s statistics. November’s research also found that 166 more individual HCPs were involved in discussing treatment approvals than the previous month.
On Nov. 16, the FDA approved Pfizer and Astellas’ Xtandi (enzalutamide) for non-metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer. This follows on from the European Medicines Agency’s approval of Xtandi for the same indication in September. A number of HCPs expressed excitement at the news, with some sharing an OncoAlert newsletter that reported on the approval. Chandler Park, MD, an oncologist and cancer researcher, called the treatment “practice changing,” while other HCPs congratulated their peers on the success of the EMBARK clinical trial, which had been assessing the treatment.
Also on Nov. 16, the FDA announced the approval of AstraZeneca’s Truqap (capivasertib with fulvestrant) for the treatment of hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer. After its approval, Paolo Tarantino, MD, a research fellow at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, sparked conversation related to a subanalysis of the CAPItello-291 trial, which was presented at the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Overall, HCPs expressed support for its approval, particularly in its capacity as another treatment option for patients with breast cancer.
The findings form part of a wider study by leading digital insights consultancy Creation Healthcare, and are based on the analysis of 2,313 English-language posts on X (formerly Twitter) by 1,633 HCPs throughout November, focusing on the approval and launch of new products.
Over the period, the three most shared stories from HCPs discussing product launches included an Eli Lilly press release on the approval of Zepbound for the treatment of obesity and weight management, a Cision PR Newswire article on the approval of Xtandi for the treatment of prostate cancer, and an FDA press release on the approval of Truqap for the treatment of hormone receptor-positive/HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer.
References:
- Chandler Park, MD, FACP (@CParkMD). Nov. 21, 2023. X (Twitter).
- Emad Shash (@emadshash). Nov. 17, 2023. X (Twitter).
- Erin D. Michos, MD (@ErinMichos). Nov. 8, 2023. X (Twitter).
- FDA approves capivasertib with fulvestrant for breast cancer. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resources-information-approved-drugs/fda-approves-capivasertib-fulvestrant-breast-cancer. Published Nov. 16, 2023. Accessed Dec. 20, 2023.
- FDA approves Lilly’s Zepbound (tirzepatide) for chronic weight management, a powerful new option for the treatment of obesity or overweight with weight-related medical problems. https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/fda-approves-lillys-zepboundtm-tirzepatide-chronic-weight. Published Nov. 8, 2023. Accessed Dec. 20, 2023.
- Jen Manne-Goehler (@IDDocJen). Nov. 9, 2023. X (Twitter).
- Komal Jhaveri (@jhaveri_komal). Nov. 16, 2023. X (Twitter).
- Neeraj Agarwal, MD, FASCO (@neerajaiims). Nov. 17, 2023. X (Twitter).
- OncoAlert (@OncoAlert). Nov. 23, 2023. X (Twitter).
- Paolo Tarantino (@PTarantinoMD). Nov. 30, 2023. X (Twitter).
- Payal Kohli, MD (@payalkohlimd). Nov. 16, 2023. X (Twitter).
- Pfizer and Astellas’ XTANDI approved by U.S. FDA in earlier prostate cancer treatment setting. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pfizer-and-astellas-xtandi-approved-by-us-fda-in-earlier-prostate-cancer-treatment-setting-301991574.html. Published Nov. 16, 2023. Accessed Dec. 20, 2023.
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