Tirzepatide beats semaglutide when it comes to weight loss!
Tirzepatide as Compared with Semaglutide for the Treatment of Obesity (SURMOUNT-5)
Aronne LJ et al. NEJM (May 2025)
Bottom Line: This phase 3b, open-label, controlled trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of tirzepatide versus semaglutide in 751 adults with obesity but without type 2 diabetes. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either tirzepatide (10 mg or 15 mg) or semaglutide (1.7 mg or 2.4 mg) weekly over 72 weeks. The primary outcome was the percent change in weight from baseline to week 72, showing a reduction of -20.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], −21.4 to −19.1) for tirzepatide and -13.7% (95% CI, −14.9 to −12.6) for semaglutide (P<0.001). Safety results indicated gastrointestinal adverse events, mostly mild to moderate. Tirzepatide demonstrated superior efficacy in weight reduction compared to semaglutide.
Does Obicetrapib reduce LDL cholesterol levels in patients with high cardiovascular risk?
Safety and Efficacy of Obicetrapib in Patients at High Cardiovascular Risk (BROADWAY)
Nicholls SJ et al. NEJM (May 2025)
Bottom line: This multinational, randomized, placebo-controlled trial evaluated the efficacy and safety of 10 mg obicetrapib once daily versus matching placebo over 365 days in 2530 patients with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia or a history of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease who were receiving maximum tolerated doses of lipid-lowering therapy. The primary outcome was the percent change in LDL cholesterol level from baseline to day 84, showing a reduction of -29.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], −32.1 to −27.8) in the obicetrapib group compared to 2.7% (95% CI, −0.4 to 5.8) in the placebo group. The between-group difference was -32.6 (95% CI, −35.8 to −29.5; P<0.001) percentage points (P<0.001). The incidence of adverse events was similar across both groups, concluding that obicetrapib significantly reduced LDL cholesterol levels in high-risk patients.
Should we start treating patients with mild uncontrolled asthma with Albuterol–Budesonide instead of Albuterol alone?
As-Needed Albuterol–Budesonide in Mild Asthma (BATURA)
Laforce C et al. NEJM (May 2025)
Bottom Line: This phase 3b, multicenter, double-blind trial evaluated the efficacy of as-needed albuterol-budesonide versus albuterol alone in 2516 participants aged 12 and older with uncontrolled mild asthma over 52 weeks. Participants were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to a fixed-dose combination of 180 μg of albuterol and 160 μg of budesonide or 180 μg of albuterol on an as-needed basis. The primary outcome was the first severe asthma exacerbation, with results showing 5.1% in the albuterol-budesonide group versus 9.1% in the albuterol group (hazard ratio 0.53; 95% CI 0.39 to 0.73; P<0.001). Safety outcomes indicated similar adverse events between the groups, concluding that albuterol-budesonide significantly reduces severe exacerbation risk compared to albuterol alone.
Trial Files Issue #2025-16