A new clinical trial has found that Mounjaro, a popular treatment already approved for adults, can significantly lower blood sugar and body weight in children as young as 10 living with Type 2 diabetes.
The findings could pave the way for wider access, as drugmaker Eli Lilly, which funded the study, works to expand the drug’s approval beyond adult patients. The study focused on tirzepatide, the active ingredient in both Mounjaro, used for Type 2 diabetes, and Zepbound, prescribed for weight management.
How the study worked
Researchers enrolled 99 participants between the ages of 10 and 17 who had obesity and poorly controlled Type 2 diabetes despite being on treatments like metformin or insulin. Over the course of 30 weeks, patients received either a weekly dose of 5 milligrams, or 10 mg of tirzepatide, or a placebo.
By the trial’s end, the differences were striking:
- Blood sugar control: Patients taking tirzepatide saw their average A1C levels drop by 2.2%, compared with just 0.05% for those on placebo.
- Reaching safe A1C levels: 71% of participants on 5 mg and 86% on 10 mg achieved an A1C of 6.5% or less, which is below the diabetes threshold. Only 28% of the placebo group did the same.
- Body weight impact: Participants also saw major improvements in BMI. Those on 5 mg lost an average of 7.4% of their BMI, while those on 10 mg lost 11.2%, compared to just 0.4% in the placebo group.
Importantly, the benefits to blood sugar and BMI were sustained through 52 weeks with no signs of plateauing.
The study authors wrote:
Tirzepatide is the first drug used for Type 2 diabetes in this age group that has shown sustained clinically-meaningful, BMI-lowering effects.
Safety and side effects
The treatment’s safety profile looked similar to what’s been observed in adults. The most common issues were mild to moderate gastrointestinal side effects, which generally eased over time. Two patients in the 5 mg group stopped treatment due to side effects.
Why this matters
Dr. Tamara Hannon, director of the Clinical Diabetes Program at Indiana University and lead investigator on the trial, said:
Youth living with Type 2 diabetes often face a more aggressive disease course, and in many instances, first-line treatments like metformin and basal insulin fail to control their A1C adequately… These results offer a promising opportunity to help shift the long-term health trajectory for young people living with this complex condition.
What’s next?
Eli Lilly has submitted the trial results to regulators worldwide, seeking approval for use in younger patients. Currently, the FDA has approved three GLP-1 drugs for Type 2 diabetes in kids 10 and older, and two for obesity in adolescents ages 12-17.
If approved, Mounjaro could become another powerful option in the fight against childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes, two conditions that are rising at alarming rates in young people.
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Source: “Efficacy and safety of tirzepatide in children and adolescents with type 2 diabetes (SURPASS-PEDS)…,” The Lancet, 9/17/25
Source: “Drugs like Mounjaro can help kids as young as 10 lose weight and control blood sugar: new study,” New York Post, 9/19/25
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