Diabetes Dialogue: Tirzepatide and the Future of Incretin Therapies, with Timothy Garvey, MD

Despite all the excitement and fanfare surrounding semaglutide in recent years, the advent of tirzepatide has the dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist poised to establish its own foothold within cardiometabolic disease management buoyed by data from the SURPASS and SURMOUNT programs, which were used as the basis of approvals as adjuncts in management of glycemic control for people with type 2 diabetes as well as chronic weight management in adults with overweight or obesity, respectively.^1,2

Looking to the horizon, tirzepatide represents just one of the multi-incretin therapies being investigated by parent company Eli Lilly and Company. Though tirzepatide represents the first obesity treatment activating both GIP and GLP-1, Eli Lilly’s portfolio of incretin therapies also contains the triagonist retatrutide, which is a GIP/GLP-1/Glucagon receptor agonist making a name for itself through the release of phase 2 data at major scientific congresses in 2023.^1,2,3

In this episode of Diabetes Dialogue: Technology, Therapeutics, & Real-World Perspectives hosts Diana Isaacs, PharmD, an endocrine clinical pharmacist, director of Education and Training in Diabetes Technology, and codirector of Endocrine Disorders in Pregnancy at the Cleveland Clinic, and Natalie Bellini, DNP, program director of Diabetes Technology at University Hospitals Diabetes and Metabolic Care Center, are joined by W. Timothy Garvey, MD, professor of medicine and director of the Diabetes Research Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The principal investigator of SURMOUNT-2, Garvey provides our hosts with perspective on a number of topics, including the FDA’s approval of the agent for chronic weight management, data from the SURMOUNT-2, -3, and 4 programs, the future of incretin therapies, and more.

Relevant disclosures for Dr. Garvey include Boehringer-Ingelheim, Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly and Company, Merck & Co., Inc., Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Fractyl Health, Inc., Inogen, Epitomee, Pfizer Inc., and Neurovalens. Relevant disclosures for Isaacs include Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Abbott Diabetes Care, Dexcom, Medtronic, and others. Relevant disclosures for Bellini include Abbott Diabetes Care, MannKind, Provention Bio, and others.

References:

1. _{^{Campbell P. Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) Wins FDA Approval for Type 2 Diabetes. HCPLive. Published May 13, 2022. Accessed March 4, 2024. https://www.hcplive.com/view/tirzepatide-wins-fda-approval-for-type-2-diabetes}}
2. _{^{Campbell P. FDA Approves Tirzepatide (Zepbound) for Chronic Weight Management. HCPLive. Published November 8, 2023. Accessed March 4, 2024. https://www.hcplive.com/view/fda-approves-tirzepatide-zepbound-chronic-weight-management}}
3. _{^{Iapoce C, Campbell P. ADA 2023 Top News Recap. HCPLive. Published July 2, 2023. Accessed March 4, 2024. https://www.hcplive.com/view/ada-2023-top-new-recap}}