By GB News (World News) | Created at 2026-10-01 12:06:02 | Updated at 2026-10-01 13:22:03
1 hour ago
A new dual-action weight-loss injection has delivered what one Oxford University professor called "a pretty astonishing degree of weight loss".
Findings show patients shed an average of 23.3 per cent of their body weight in just 48 weeks.
The treatment, dubbed EloraTZP, pairs tirzepatide, the active compound in Mounjaro, often referred to as the "King Kong" of slimming jabs, with an experimental drug called eloralintide.
Both drugs are manufactured by Eli Lilly.
Findings unveiled at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meeting in Milan showed participants lost nearly four stone on average, far exceeding the 14.8 per cent reduction seen with the highest dose of Mounjaro alone.
Professor David Preiss of Oxford University, who was not involved in the study, described the outcome as "a pretty astonishing degree of weight loss".
The trial enrolled 367 adults classified as overweight or obese, all of whom had type 2 diabetes, with an average starting weight of roughly 16st 8lb.
Participants on the highest combination dose received 9mg of eloralintide alongside 15mg of tirzepatide.
A new dual-action weight-loss injection has delivered what one Oxford professor called 'a pretty astonishing degree of weight loss'
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Those taking 15mg of tirzepatide without eloralintide shed around 2st 6lb, meaning the dual approach produced approximately 20lb of additional weight loss over the same timeframe.
A day earlier at the same conference, researchers had presented data on retatrutide, known as "Godzilla" for its potency, which acts on three hormone receptors governing appetite and metabolism.
Its highest dose produced a 20.8 per cent weight reduction, although results were measured over 80 weeks rather than 48.
The two trials are not directly comparable owing to differing patient populations and study designs, although both recruited overweight or obese individuals with type 2 diabetes, a group that has historically responded less dramatically to slimming medications.
EloraTZP harnesses two distinct mechanisms to curb appetite.
Tirzepatide acts on receptors for glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), promoting satiety and reducing food intake.
Eloralintide, meanwhile, operates via the amylin pathway, a hormone the pancreas naturally secretes after meals to help manage blood sugar levels and fullness.
On the highest combination dose, patients saw their glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) drop by an average of 2.9 per cent, compared with 2.4 per cent for those on tirzepatide alone. Prof Preiss called these reductions "massive".
Findings show patients shed an average of 23.3 per cent of their body weight in just 48 weeks
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He noted such improvements in blood sugar and weight would be expected to lower cardiovascular and blood pressure risks, although further research was needed to confirm those benefits.
However, mild-to-moderate gastrointestinal side effects, including nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea, occurred more frequently among those on the combination.
Dropout rates were also notably higher, reaching up to 27 per cent in the combination groups versus just 3 per cent for tirzepatide alone.
Professor Lora Heisler, a nutrition and obesity specialist at the University of Aberdeen, cautioned patients already responding well to tirzepatide might not find the added benefits worth the extra side effects.
Lead author Dr Liana Billings said: "These are outcomes that matter to patients," highlighting the potential of targeting multiple hormonal pathways to tackle both obesity and type 2 diabetes simultaneously.
A larger trial testing EloraTZP as a single weekly injection is expected to launch before the year's end.
