Weight loss jabs may achieve less drastic results outside trials, study suggests
People using weight loss jabs shed far fewer pounds in the real world than in clinical trials, researchers have found,Jabs such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, which contain the drugs semaglutide and tirzepatide respectively, have transformed the treatment of obesity, with studies suggesting the former can help people lose up to 20% of their body weight after 72 weeks of treatment,However, a new study suggests the drugs, known as GLP-1 RAs, may not produce such drastic weight loss in everyday settings,“The average patient on [GLP-1 RAs] in the real world is not getting the weight loss that we see in clinical trials,” said the study’s senior author, Dr Karan Chhabra, from the Grossman school of medicine at New York University,Researchers analysed data from 51,085 patients with a body mass index of 35 or greater and who were eligible for weight loss surgery and weight loss jabs.
The team compared the weight loss in 38,545 people prescribed semaglutide or tirzepatide by their doctor with that in 12,540 patients who underwent weight loss surgery, over a period of up to three years.After taking into account factors such as age, body mass index and health problems of participants, the team found patients who underwent bariatric surgery had significantly greater average weight loss at all measured time points than those who received prescriptions for semaglutide or tirzepatide.For example, after two years, people who underwent bariatric surgery had on average a 26.5% reduction in their body weight, compared with 5.7% for those prescribed GLP-1 RAs for any duration.
The study has not yet been peer reviewed and is due to be presented at the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery 2025 annual scientific meeting.Chhabra said: “The most reliable way to lose 20% to 30% of your weight is to get a bariatric operation.”He said it was not clear why the weight loss jabs had a smaller effect in the real world than in trials, but he noted that their cost and others barriers to access could mean people were unable to continue their use over the long term, while doctors’ efforts could also play a role, given how it is important that dosage is increased over time, side-effects are monitored and additional support is offered.Chhabra said further work was needed to ensure patients who want to take such medications get the greatest effectiveness.“Our goal is to get as many people to the right treatment [for obesity] as possible.
But they need to know what to expect from the treatment that they’re choosing, and that needs to be guided by real-world data, not clinical trial data,” he said,Prof Naveed Sattar, of the University of Glasgow, who was not involved in the work, pointed to recent follow-up studies of trials involving tirzepatide showing substantial weight loss over three years,But he said in real life many patients stop medicines early either because of their cost or poorly handled side-effects,“That said, bariatric surgery done well can do well for many people and is certainly cheaper over the longer run,” he said,“The issue may be that most people likely prefer to take medicines for weight loss rather than have surgery, at least in the first instance, now that the medicines can approach weight loss levels seen with surgery.
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Trump threatens to keep 25% tariff on UK steel imports over Port Talbot concerns
Donald Trump is threatening to keep 25% tariffs on some or all of its steel imports from the UK unless it gives specific guarantees over the Indian-owned steelmaking plant at Port Talbot in south Wales, sources have told the Guardian.An agreement to reduce tariffs on UK car exports to the US and scrap them for the aerospace sector was signed off by the US president and Keir Starmer on Monday, on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada.However, it did not include the removal of tariffs on steel imports from the UK. Officials are still negotiating over the fine points of a deal to cover the steel and aluminium industry, amid US concerns about the fact that Tata Steel imports raw materials from abroad.Starmer told reporters in Banff, Canada: “There’s further work to do in relation to steel, but we’re getting on and doing that work
Trump claims EU is not offering a fair trade deal; Reeves pitches UK as ‘oasis of stability’; oil climbs as shares fall – as it happened
US president Donald Trump has said the European Union was not yet offering a fair deal in trade talks between the United States and the 27-nation bloc.Seaking to reporters on Air Force One, as he returned early from the G7 summit, Trump explained:“We’re talking, but I don’t feel that they’re offering a fair deal yet. They’re either going to make a good deal or they’ll just pay whatever we say they have to pay.”Trump also said there was a chance of a trade deal with Japan, but said Tokyo was being “tough”, Reuters reports.TRUMP SAYS EU NOT YET OFFERING A FAIR DEALTrump added that pharmaceutical tariffs were coming very soon and noted that Canada would pay to be part of his “golden dome” project
Europe will never return to Russian gas, European Commission insists
The European Commission has insisted there will be no return to Russian gas, as it published plans to phase out fossil fuel imports from its eastern neighbour by 2028.The EU energy commissioner, Dan Jørgensen, said a proposed ban on Russian gas imports would remain, irrespective of whether there was peace in Ukraine.EU officials recalled when Russia cut gas supplies in 2006, 2009 and 2014, as well as the deliberate reduction in flows in 2021 before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which contributed to a huge rise in energy prices and surging inflation across the continent.Under the proposals, European companies would be banned from importing Russian gas or providing services at EU liquified natural gas terminals to Russian customers. Any contracts entered into from today would have to be wound up by 1 January 2026, but companies with pre-existing agreements have a final deadline of 1 January 2028
Poundland to shut 68 stores in restructuring that puts 2,000 jobs at risk
Poundland is to shut 68 shops and two distribution centres and aims to close at least 80 more stores, putting more than 2,000 jobs at risk.The British company, which was sold last week to the US investment group Gordon Brothers for £1, has more than 800 outlets in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, employing about 16,000 people. It said it planned to reduce this eventually to no more than 650 outlets.It also wants landlords to cut rents to zero on up to 180 stores – putting the future of those outlets in doubt – while also seeking rent reductions of between 15% and 75% on dozens more stores as part of a restructuring process that it will put to creditors in August.Poundland is also stopping selling online, ditching its Perks loyalty app, ceasing to sell frozen foods and reducing its range of chilled foods to items that make up its £3 meal deals – such as sandwiches – and essentials including milk
‘Vital’ that British steel gets Trump tariff deal after UK-US trade pact, say unions
Steel trade unions have said it is “absolutely vital” that the UK rapidly secures a deal to protect the sector from Donald Trump’s tariffs, after the industry was excluded from an initial UK-US pact signed on Monday night.Keir Starmer and Trump signed off a UK-US trade deal at the G7 summit in Canada, with the US president saying Britain would have protection against future tariffs “because I like them”.The car industry was relieved that tariffs on the sector will be reduced to 10% from 27.5%. The UK aerospace sector will face no tariffs at all from the US after deal, which followed an initial agreement made in May
UK bank TSB could be sold off by Spanish owner Sabadell
The Spanish bank Sabadell has said it has received interest from prospective buyers of its UK division TSB, and said it would assess any firm offers it may receive.Sabadell wants to sell TSB as it battles to fend off an €11bn (£9.4bn) hostile approach from its Spanish rival BBVA.The Catalonia-based lender said it had received “preliminary non-binding expressions of interest” for TSB from unnamed bidders, and would examine any potential binding offer.TSB, which has 175 branches in the UK, has more than 5 million customers and 5,000 staff
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