What to know about Zepbound, Eli Lilly’s new weight loss drug

A new weight loss drug has been approved that promises to be the most effective medication yet. How is Zepbound, the weekly injectable drug that’s expected to be available shortly after Thanksgiving, different from other weight loss medications?

Zepbound, from drugmaker Eli Lilly, belongs to a new class of medications, called GLP-1 agonists, that have skyrocketed in popularity in the U.S. in recent years. Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy and Lilly’s Mounjaro are the same type of drugs.

Ozempic and Mounjaro are prescribed to help people with diabetes control their blood sugar levels.

Wegovy and Zepbound are for people who don’t already have diabetes but whose excess weight puts them at risk of health complications.

In clinical trials, Zepbound helped people lose, on average, 52 pounds, nearly rivaling the weight loss results achieved with bariatric surgery, according to Dr. Christopher McGowan, a gastroenterologist who runs a weight loss clinic in Cary, North Carolina.

Here’s what you need to know about Lilly’s new drug.