Patients on Eli Lilly's Mounjaro were more likely to lose weight and experienced larger reductions in body weight compared to those on Novo Nordisk's Ozempic.

The maker of weight-loss jabs Wegovy and Ozempic, Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, has reported a sharp rise in profits on the back of surging demand for the drugs. Net profits were 39.2bn kroner (£4.5bn) for the period from January to June, rising 43% from 27.5bn kroner a year earlier.

An Ozempic competitor drug has proven to be up to three times more effective for weight loss, a new study found.

The diabetes drug Mounjaro prompted more weight loss among overweight and obese adults than Ozempic did in a real-world setting, researchers report.

Both Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Ozempic (semaglutide) mimic the effects of the gut hormone GLP-1, which triggers insulin production, helps control appetite and slows the movement of food through the stomach.