Evidence receipt
SURMOUNT-1: what the trial found
A plain-language summary of one study: who took part, what they got, what it was compared with, what happened in each group, its limits and who paid for it. One trial. Results are group averages, not a prediction for any one person.
Study: SURMOUNT-1[1]
How much weight loss does weekly tirzepatide produce compared with placebo in adults with obesity and no diabetes?
- Who was in it
- 2,539 adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more with a weight-related complication, without diabetes
- What they got
- Tirzepatide 5, 10 or 15 mg injection once a week, with lifestyle counselling
- Compared with
- Placebo, with lifestyle counselling
- How long
- 72 weeks
- What happened
- Average weight change: −15.0% (5 mg), −19.5% (10 mg), −20.9% (15 mg) vs −3.1% on placebo.
- Limits
- People with diabetes were excluded
- 72 weeks: no heart outcomes
- Did not test what happens after stopping
- Funded by
- Eli Lilly
Summary by Joshua Nichvolodoff, from the published paper — not written by the study's authors. Clinical review: not yet reviewed by a clinician.
Sources
- Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity (SURMOUNT-1). New England Journal of Medicine, July 21, 2022. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35658024/ · DOI 10.1056/NEJMoa2206038 · PMID 35658024. Accessed November 2, 2026. Back to the text
Discussed in: Tirzepatide, explained · Zepbound, explained
General information, not medical advice.