Tirzepatide Study Reveals Minimal Weight Regain Over Three Years

Recent findings presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2025) indicate that a significant portion of individuals treated with tirzepatide, a medication for obesity management, experienced minimal weight regain over a three-year period. The analysis of the SURMOUNT-1 trial revealed that approximately two-thirds of participants regained 5% or less of their lowest recorded weight after initiating treatment.

The research, conducted by a team from Weill Cornell Medicine and Eli Lilly and Company, examined the long-term effects of tirzepatide on weight management. While it is common for individuals to experience fluctuations in body weight during their obesity treatment journey, the study aimed to assess the specific regain of weight from nadir (the lowest achieved weight) after three years of sustained medication adherence.

The original SURMOUNT-1 trial, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2022, demonstrated that participants treated with doses of 5 mg, 10 mg, or 15 mg of tirzepatide weekly experienced substantial and lasting reductions in body weight over 72 weeks.

This post hoc analysis involved 690 participants who adhered to the tirzepatide regimen and had a baseline weight of at least 107 kg. The cohort consisted of 65% women and 35% men, with a mean age of 49 years and a mean body mass index (BMI) of 38.6 kg/m². All participants had lost at least 5% of their initial weight before reaching their nadir weight.

Weight regain was calculated by comparing the percentage of weight reduction from baseline to nadir and from baseline to Week 176. The findings revealed that participants achieved a mean time to reach their nadir weight of 22 months (approximately 96 weeks) with an average weight reduction of 23.1%. Notably, the mean weight regain from nadir to Week 176 was only 3.7%, resulting in an overall mean percentage weight reduction of 19.4% across the three-year period.

At the conclusion of the study, data indicated that 73% of participants on the 5 mg dose regained less than 5%, while 19% regained between 5% to 10% of their nadir weight. Similarly, for those on the 10 mg dose, 65% regained less than 5%, and 26% regained between 5% to 10%. Among the group receiving 15 mg, 73% experienced less than 5% regain, with 20% regaining between 5% to 10%.

The authors of the study have not yet investigated potential differences in weight regain based on gender or age. The lead researcher emphasized that the analysis demonstrates a positive outcome in maintaining weight loss among tirzepatide users, with a significant majority avoiding substantial weight regain post-treatment.

Overall, these results suggest that the use of tirzepatide may facilitate a more stable weight management journey for individuals living with obesity, leading to sustained weight loss over an extended period.