Study wrapper · #1135
Analysis of the efficacy and safety of liraglutide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide for the treatment of overweight and obesity: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.
Editor's note
This is the most current head-to-head-style comparison of the major weight-management incretins, and its ordering — tirzepatide first, high-dose semaglutide second — matches what the individual trials have suggested. The most practically useful finding is the tempered read on semaglutide 7.2 mg: consistently ranked above 2.4 mg, but with an average incremental benefit the authors themselves call modest, and statistically clear mainly in the diabetes subgroup. Rankings rest on indirect comparison with considerable heterogeneity, so direct head-to-head trials remain the missing piece.
Plain-language abstract
Pooling 24 phase 3 trials lasting a year or more, this network meta-analysis ranks tirzepatide 15 mg as the most effective option for weight and waist reduction, with the new 7.2 mg semaglutide dose edging out 2.4 mg by a modest 2-3 percentage points. Serious adverse events did not differ meaningfully between the drugs.