Actual patient who was compensated for their time by Lilly
What is Mounjaro® (tirzepatide)?
Mounjaro® (mown-JAHR-OH) is an injectable medicine for adults with type 2 diabetes used along with diet and exercise to improve blood sugar (glucose).
It is not known if Mounjaro can be used in people who have had inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). Mounjaro is not for use in people with type 1 diabetes. It is not known if Mounjaro is safe and effective for use in children under 18 years of age.
Select Safety Information
Warning: Tell your healthcare provider if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or shortness of breath. These may be symptoms of thyroid cancer. In studies with rats, Mounjaro and medicines that work like Mounjaro caused thyroid tumors, including thyroid cancer. It is not known if Mounjaro will cause thyroid tumors, or a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) in people. Do not take Mounjaro if you or any of your family have ever had MTC or if you have an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).
When Liz Davis was diagnosed with prediabetes in her late 20s, she didn’t think too much of it.
She had already known that she was at higher risk for type 2 diabetes due to her family history of insulin resistance and her polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)—a condition that can cause irregular periods due to an imbalance of reproductive hormones1—but she was young, busy, and otherwise healthy.
A few years later, Liz began to experience symptoms such as trouble sleeping and a constant thirst. Like many young people in her situation, she’d been so absorbed with graduate school and her work that she hadn’t seen a physician in years.
“I tried to stay healthy through lifestyle, but it was tough. I was always very stressed, and I didn’t have time to take care of myself,” she recalls. In 2018, at the age of 33, Liz finally saw a physician who ran her bloodwork. That’s when she heard that she’d progressed from pre-diabetes to type 2 diabetes.
Finding the Right Treatment Fit
After her diagnosis, Liz tried two different medications and made a few lifestyle changes to control her diabetes, but she still struggled to regulate her glucose levels. In the spring of 2022, her father, a retired physician, told her about recent clinical trials on a type 2 diabetes drug called Mounjaro® (tirzepatide), an injectable, prescription medicine available in a 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, and 15 mg per 0.5 mL single dose pen.
“My dad knew I had been struggling, and that I wanted to try a different treatment,” Liz recalls. “I read the studies my dad gave me and took them to my doctor, who also felt Mounjaro could be a great option for me.” Liz began taking Mounjaro in July 2022, two months after it was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Initially, Liz was intimidated by Mounjaro as she’d never been on an injectable medication before. “It was hard for me to wrap my mind around taking a medicine that required an injection, as I’ve been afraid of needles my whole life!” she recalls. “In some ways, I also felt like a failure, since I hadn’t been able to get my glucose under control through diet and exercise.”
Thankfully, Liz’s doctor walked her through her first injection. “I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to use the Mounjaro single dose pen,” she says. “I had been used to all the times I pricked my finger to check my blood sugar, so I didn’t know what to expect, but with Mounjaro it comes in an easy-to-use pen.”*
*Before using the Mounjaro Pen, read the Instructions for Use (IFU) or watch how to use the Mounjaro Pen at www.mounjaro.com. In a study of adults with type 2 diabetes for another medicine that uses the same single-dose pen as Mounjaro, 99% said that, after adequate training, the single-dose pen was easy to use. The IFU for the Mounjaro single-dose pen differ from the IFU provided in the study.
Soon after she started Mounjaro, along with diet and exercise, Liz began to see a drop in her A1C. “Within a few weeks, I noticed positive changes in my blood sugar and realized that I was making real progress in managing my type 2 diabetes,” she says.
A New Lifestyle, A New Life
Today, Liz’s diabetes is very well controlled. After starting Mounjaro and continuing to watch her diet and exercising more frequently, her A1C—a blood test that measures average blood sugar levels over the last three months—was below 7%.
†In studies with or without other diabetes medications, the percentage of people taking Mounjaro who reached an A1C of less than 7% ranged from 75% (5 mg) to 90% (10 mg). People had an average starting A1C of 7.9% to 8.6% across the 5-mg, 10-mg, and 15-mg doses. A 40-week study was conducted to see if Mounjaro 5-mg, 10-mg, and 15-mg plus a basal insulin worked better than basal insulin alone. 90% of people taking Mounjaro 10-mg plus basal insulin achieved an A1C of under 7%.
“Having my A1C levels come down is so amazing—I have more time and ‘brain space’ to think about and do the things I enjoy, since I can be less focused on monitoring my glucose all day,” she says.
While Mounjaro is not a weight loss drug, Liz has also noticed it has helped decrease how much food she eats. “I eat less and I’m able to focus on maintaining a balanced diet.”
Plus, part of Liz’s commitment to a healthy lifestyle is keeping up with her favorite activity—walking. “I take my dogs to the beach for long romps and it feels great,” she exclaims. “Now, I focus on small, but sustainable changes, like going for a walk or cooking at home instead of ordering in.”
Being an Active Participant in Your Own Care
The best advice Liz has for anyone newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes?
“Always be an advocate for yourself,” she says. “Never be afraid to bring up concerns to your doctor, get your annual physical, and never, ever take your health for granted.”
She also recommends connecting with others who have type 2 diabetes via online resources, including social media. “It’s important to find a community,” she stresses. “Remember, there are a lot of people out there with type 2 diabetes, and we are better when we can go through it together. A good relationship with your doctor is important, but it’s also crucial to see how other people live their lives with this condition. Learning from them can be motivating and empowering—and will help you feel less alone.”
Since getting accurate health information is essential, Liz recommends that adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes talk to their healthcare provider about their treatment options and visit the Mounjaro website to learn more about this weekly injection, as well as lifestyle tips for living with type 2 diabetes.
“With the help of Mounjaro, I know achieving my A1C goal is possible,” she says. “I hope my story can show others that they too can find a new path forward with their type 2 diabetes.”