Real-world trial of Lilly's tirzepatide starts in UK

A real-world study exploring the long-term effects of Eli Lilly's weight-loss therapy tirzepatide in primary care settings has started in the UK.

The five-year SURMOUNT-REAL UK trial, part of a collaboration signed last year between Lilly and the UK government, will chart the effects of tirzepatide on weight loss, diabetes prevention, and the prevention of obesity-related complications for adults with obesity.

Importantly, along with clinical outcomes, it will also look at broader measures of health and healthcare use, including GP, hospital, and A&E visits, as well as work productivity, employment status, and health-related quality of life.

That should help with the formulation of policy on how weight-loss drugs should be introduced into the NHS and the overall management of obesity in the UK.

Dual GLP-1/GIP agonist tirzepatide is marketed under the Mounjaro trade name as a treatment for both type 2 diabetes and obesity in the UK. It has been recommended for use by the NHS in obese people with a BMI of 35 or more and at least one weight-related illness, and for people with type 2 diabetes if standard therapies are ineffective at controlling blood glucose.

SURMOUNT-REAL UK is being carried out in the Greater Manchester area, with initial patient visits now underway, and is being carried out in partnership with Health Innovation Manchester and the University of Manchester. North West EHealth has been appointed to lead the delivery of the trial, managing data, technology, and patient recruitment.

Lead investigator Prof Martin Rutter, a cardiometabolic medicine specialist at Manchester University, said that the trial "is particularly important because it will contribute to the evidence base on intervening comparatively early in the progression of obesity."

It is estimated that around 600,000 adults in Greater Manchester live with obesity – around 27% of the total population.

Many of them also suffer from other obesity-related illnesses, which reduces their quality of life and puts additional pressure on health and care systems, and a study by Frontier Economics has estimated that the cost of obesity to the area is around £3.21 billion, made up of NHS treatment, social care, reduced quality of life, informal care, and impact on economic activity.

"As a GP, I see patients bring more than symptoms – they bring hopes, challenges, and the realities of their communities," said Dr Imran Ghafoor of Peterloo Medical Centre, who is the principal investigator in the trial.

"They trust our practice as a familiar and accessible space," he added. "This is why I am proud to be involved in this trial, which extends participation opportunities to groups often under-represented in research."