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A new class of treatment for type 2 diabetes, dubbed the ‘King Kong of drugs’ by the Wall Street Journal, heralds the beginning of a significant era in T2D management, according to the CEO of the Australian Diabetes Society, Associate Professor Sof Andrikopoulos.

If used early in the disease progression, he says patients may expect remission with tirzepatide (Mounjaro)* but only if they can get their hands on it. The drug’s manufacturer, Eli Lilly recently issued a statement that availability of all strengths of tirzepatide will be limited until end of August 2024.

Nonetheless, this once-weekly injectable has been touted in the mainstream media as a challenger to the semaglutide stable of Ozempic and yet-to-launch obesity drug, Wegovy. While tirzepatide’s indication is limited to treating T2D, it is currently under review by the TGA as a weight-reduction drug.

Andrikopoulos says tirzepatide represents a “monumental shift in the way T2D is managed” although he notes there is still an important role for established therapies such as GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT-2 inhibitors.