Mounjaro®

Mounjaro is a brand name for a drug known as Tirzepatide. It is used to treat type 2 diabetes and for weight management. Mounjaro works by lowering blood sugar levels and improving insulin production in the body. This drug also has beneficial effects on weight loss, making it a popular choice for obese or overweight individuals.

Below you will find an instructional video for Mounjaro. This video covers the following topics, among others: preparation of a Mounjaro syringe, pricking Mounjaro, storing Mounjaro and advice for Mounjaro.

Important information about the Flexpen Mounjaro:

• Each pen contains 1 specific dose.
• You can inject 4 times with 1 pen and you inject 1 dose once a week.
• After 4 injections the pen blocks automatically.
  • Please note: there will always be some residual liquid, this is not a full dose.
• It is important to check the passage of the needle before each injection
  • After screwing on a new needle, turn the back of the pen 2 clicks until the 1st line appears in the window.
  • Then press the back of the pen until a ‘0’ appears on the screen again
  • If a drop appears on the needle, the pen is ready to use.
  • If you do not see a drop, you should repeat these steps.
    • If no drop appears on the needle after 2 attempts, the needle may be faulty or incorrectly attached to the pen; in this case, remove the needle and put a new needle on the pen and repeat all the previous steps, until you do see a drop.
• Only when a drop appears on the needle, the pen is ready for use and you can wind the pen all the way until a ‘1’ appears on the screen. You can then inject the dose.

Tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro, is an incretin mimetic. It mimics the action of incretin hormones that increase insulin release after meals. This helps regulate blood sugar levels. Tirzepatide also helps reduce appetite, which contributes to weight loss.

Mounjaro works to lose weight by reducing appetite. It does this by affecting two hormones:

• GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide): This hormone is released after eating and helps regulate blood sugar levels. Mounjaro stimulates the production of GIP, which leads to an increased feeling of satiety.
• GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1): This hormone is also released after eating and helps regulate blood sugar levels. Mounjaro is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, meaning it mimics the action of GLP-1. This leads to an increased feeling of satiety and a decreased appetite.

Mounjaro has proven effective in helping overweight or obese people lose weight. In clinical studies, people taking Mounjaro lost an average of 12.4% of their body weight.

Mounjaro is an effective way to lose weight for overweight or obese people. It is important to discuss side effects with your healthcare provider before taking Mounjaro.

Mounjaro is a prescription drug, meaning it can only be obtained with a doctor’s prescription. Mounjaro is most effective when used in conjunction with a lifestyle plan.

The price for Mounjaro is determined by the pharmacist.

Mounjaro is suitable for adults with type 2 diabetes and is used in patients for weight management if obese or overweight, especially when this causes health problems. If you are overweight, Mounjaro can be prescribed to adult patients with an initial BMI (Body Mass Index) of:

• ≥ 30 BMI (obese), or
• ≥ 27 BMI to < 30 BMI (overweight) who have at least one weight-related comorbidity, such as dysglycemia (prediabetes or diabetes mellitus type 2), hypertension, dyslipidemia or obstructive sleep apnea.

Mounjaro is only available on prescription from a doctor and is only prescribed if the client meets the indications.

Mounjaro works through two different mechanisms: it stimulates insulin production in response to high blood sugar levels and it reduces appetite. This not only helps regulate blood sugar, but also contributes to weight loss.

• The active substance in this medicine is Tirzepatide.
• The other ingredients are sodium chloride, sodium phosphate dibasic heptahydrate and water for injections.

Mounjaro is approved by the FDA and the Department of Health. The Netherlands Healthcare Institute has assessed that Mounjaro should be included in the Drug Reimbursement System for severely overweight patients.

Mounjaro contains the substance Tirzepatide and comes from the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly. Mounjaro is registered for the treatment of Type II diabetes and obesity. Saxenda contains the substance Liraglutide and comes from the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. Saxenda is only registered for the treatment of obesity.

Availability
Difference in availability between Mounjaro and Saxenda

• Mounjaro is not yet available on the Dutch market
• Saxenda is available on the Dutch market and is part of the treatment Medical weight loss with injections

Use
Difference in use between Mounjaro and Saxenda

• Mounjaro should be injected once weekly
• Saxenda should be injected once a day

Dosage
Difference in dosage between Mounjaro and Saxenda

• The dosage of Mounjaro is 2.5mg, 5mg, 7.5mg, 10mg, 12.5mg or 15mg (weekly).
• The dosage of Saxenda is 0.6mg, 1.2mg, 1.8mg, 2.4mg or 3mg (daily).

Mounjaro contains the substance Tirzepatide and comes from the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly. Mounjaro is registered for the treatment of diabetes type II and obesity. Ozempic contains the substance Semaglutide and comes from the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. Ozempic is only registered for the treatment of diabetes type II, not for the treatment of obesity.

Use
There is no difference in frequency of use between Mounjaro and Ozempic.

• Mounjaro should be injected once weekly
• Ozempic must be injected once weekly

Mounjaro contains the substance Tirzepatide and comes from the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly. Mounjaro is registered for the treatment of diabetes type II and obesity. Wegovy contains the substance Semaglutide and comes from the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk. Wegovy is only registered for the treatment of obesity.

Use
There is no difference in frequency of use between Mounjaro and Wegovy.

• Mounjaro should be injected once weekly
• Wegovy must be injected once weekly

The drug Mounjaro can be reimbursed from the basic package for the treatment of a small group of people with severe obesity. The reimbursement only applies to people with diabetes who do not respond well to other diabetes medication. Contact your health insurer for more information.

Mounjaro is a safe drug, but side effects may occur. The most common side effects are:

• nausea,
• vomiting,
• diarrhoea,
• stomachache
• and headache.

These side effects usually disappear within a few weeks.

• Mounjaro® is administered as an injection under the skin (subcutaneous injection). Do not inject it into a vein or muscle.
• The best places to inject are
  •  at the front of your thighs,
  • the front of your waist (abdomen)
  • or your upper arm.
• Before you use the pen for the first time, your doctor or nurse will show you how to use the pen.

Here are some tips for using Mounjaro for weight loss:

• Start with a low dose and gradually increase it until you achieve the desired effect.
• Take Mounjaro at the same day every week.
• Take Mounjaro with a protein-rich meal or snack.
• Drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration.
• Talk to your healthcare provider about any side effects you experience.