October 3, 2026

Lilly's Zepbound vs Wegovy HD Indirect Comparison, GLP-1 Users Report More Nail and Hair Problems at EADV

Lilly's indirect comparison favors Zepbound over Wegovy HD under one estimand, and a study at EADV links GLP-1 use with more reported nail and hair problems.

2 stories · Covering research

Editor's Note

The weekend's two verified stories were both about how to read GLP-1 data. Lilly's indirect comparison put Zepbound 3.2 to 4.5 points ahead of Wegovy HD under the treatment-regimen estimand, but under the efficacy estimand the gap shrank to 0.7 to 1.8 points and was not statistically significant, so the choice of estimand changes the headline. At the dermatology congress EADV in Vienna, a survey-based study found GLP-1 users reported nail detachment about four times as often as nonusers, though self-reported, cross-sectional data cannot show that the drugs cause it. Few other peptide stories from October 2 and 3 could be verified.

Research

Lilly Indirect Comparison Estimates Zepbound Gives 3.2 to 4.5 Points More Weight Loss Than Wegovy HD Under One Estimand but Not the Other

Lilly announced on Tuesday, September 29, 2026 an indirect treatment comparison, presented at EASD, of Zepbound (tirzepatide) 10 mg and 15 mg against Novo's Wegovy HD (semaglutide 7.2 mg), using its own SURMOUNT-1 trial and Novo's STEP UP trial in adults with obesity and without diabetes. At 72 weeks, under the treatment-regimen estimand, Zepbound 15 mg and 10 mg were estimated to give 4.5 and 3.2 percentage points more weight loss; under the efficacy estimand, the differences were 1.8 and 0.7 points and were not statistically significant. Lilly said discontinuation for adverse events was comparable; the analysis was Lilly-funded, and the two drugs have not been tested head to head at these doses.

#zepbound #tirzepatide #wegovy #eli-lilly #easd-2026

Research

GLP-1 Users Report Four Times More Nail Detachment and More Hair Loss Than Nonusers in Study Presented at EADV 2026

A cross-sectional, case-control study presented at the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology Congress in Vienna (September 30 to October 3, 2026) compared 575 GLP-1 receptor agonist users with 1,329 people with type 2 diabetes, obesity, or both who had never taken the drugs, in France, the U.S., Brazil, and Mexico. Users reported nail detachment far more often (39% vs. 9%), along with nail discoloration (46% vs. 17%) and unusual hair loss (50% vs. 34%); after adjustment, nail detachment and discoloration remained roughly two to three times as frequent. The symptoms were self-reported, about half of users said they had nail problems before treatment, and the design cannot show that the drugs cause these changes; Gizmodo reported that the work was funded by Pierre Fabre.

#glp-1 #semaglutide #tirzepatide #side-effects