What is the difference between Tirzepatide and Semaglutide for PCOS Treatment?

Tirzepatide, marketed as Mounjaro for type 2 diabetics and Zepbound for obesity treatment, is a dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and a Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. In other words, tirzepatide targets two receptors, whereas Semaglutide targets one receptor (GLP-1). Semaglutide is marketed as Ozempic for type 2 diabetics and Wegovy for obesity treatment. It also has been approved for the treatment of obesity in children ages 12 and older.

Semaglutide was added to the 2023 PCOS Treatment guidelines (1)

What does this mean clinically?

Studies show that at max dosage, patients using tirzepatide saw 17.8% weight loss, while patients using semaglutide saw a 12.4% weight loss (2, 3, 4). This is a 5.4% increase in effectiveness, which, statistically speaking, isn’t a lot. Predicting the genetic variation in receptors a patient may have is impossible. Some patients do better on semaglutide and others on tirzepatide. If the results are not what you expect on one medication, switching from semaglutide to tirzepatide or vice versa might be worth seeing if it produces a better effect. Tirzepatide generally costs a bit more, which is also a factor to consider.

How do I know if I meet the criteria for treatment?

• If you’re obese with a BMI of 30 or more
• If you’re overweight with a BMI of 27 and have a weight-related medical condition like cardiovascular disease, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, or hypertension.

Will insurance cover it?

It is often difficult to obtain insurance coverage, and this is why many patients prefer to use compounding pharmacies for an average monthly cost of $200-$500.

For more information on treating PCOS with semaglutide and tirzepatide, contact PCOS Sisters at www.pcossisters.com to schedule your visit today! We currently accept patients in FL, TX, GA, & NY, soon to be nationwide!

References:

1. https://www.monash.edu/medicine/mchri/pcos/guideline
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38613667/
3. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-02026-4#:~:text=In%20the%20STEP%201%20and,weeks6%2C7%2C8.
4. https://www.ccjm.org/page/obweek-2023/tirzepatide-loss#:~:text=Earlier%20trials%20using%20tirzepatide%20found,placebo%20group%20over%2072%20weeks.