Up to 3,000 people will take part
More than a million people in the UK are estimated to be currently using weight loss jabs(Image: PA)
The first ‘real-world study’ into the weight loss drug, Mounjaro, has now started in Greater Manchester. Thousands of Mancunians are anticipated to test the GLP-1 drug to see if it could help people living with obesity to get back into work.
A five-year clinical trial, it looks into into the effects of Tirzepatide, a type 2 diabetes and obesity treatment sold under the brand names Mounjaro, and Zepbound in the US. After first being announced in 2024, the study will measure the impact on the job prospects and quality of life of people living with obesity in Greater Manchester.
The weekly self-administered injectable drug, created by US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, suppresses appetite by mimicking a hormone which makes people feel fuller. It also changes how the body uses food and controls blood sugar.
Tirzepatide is not currently available on NHS prescription anywhere in Greater Manchester – including GP practices, pharmacies, hospitals, or specialist weight management services. But the first group of patients in the SURMOUNT-REAL UK trial in Greater Manchester have been selected and agreed to be enrolled in the study, and have now visited a GP to start the treatment.
Up to 3,000 people will take part under £279m plans by Eli Lilly and the government to tackle public health crises like obesity. Researchers will also measure how the drug affects the employment status of a patient, as well as the number of sick days they take.
NHS bosses in Greater Manchester have shared that around 600,000 people in the region live with obesity. The estimated cost to the health service of obesity in the region was more than £3bn, according to a 2023 report by consultants Health Innovation Manchester.
Mounjaro has seen patients in trials lose up to 20 per cent of their weight after 72 weeks of treatment, the BBC reports. Martin Rutter, professor of cardiometabolic medicine at the University of Manchester, said the trial would look at how effective early intervention is in tackling obesity.
Also chief investigator for the trial, he added it would assess the drug’s health benefits ‘in a diverse group of individuals’.
Dr Imran Ghafoor is a GP Partner at Peterloo Medical Centre in Middleton which is involved in the trial. He said: “As a GP, I see patients bring more than symptoms – they bring hopes, challenges, and the realities of their communities.
“They trust our practice as a familiar and accessible space. This is why I am proud to be involved in this trial, which extends participation opportunities to groups often under-represented in research.”
NHS Greater Manchester says that Mounjaro will be introduced in the region in stages over the next three years.
The stages are:
Year 1 (2025)
Adults with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or more, andFour or more weight-related health conditions
Year 2
Adults with a BMI between 35 and 39.9, andFour or more weight-related health conditions
Year 3
Adults with a BMI of 40 or more, andThree or more weight-related health conditionsAdjusted criteria for certain ethnic backgrounds
For people from South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean backgrounds, BMI thresholds are 2.5 units lower, due to a higher risk of health problems at lower body weights, says the NHS body.
In Greater Manchester, the service will be introduced in phases during the first year. People at greater health risk, starting with those who have a BMI of 50 or above, will be contacted and offered the service first.