Drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co. has developed a treatment for obesity that showed marked success in late-stage trials, helping study participants lose up to 52 pounds.
The drug, tirzepatide, was highly successful at three different doses, with subjects losing an average of about 35 pounds with the lowest dose, 49 pounds with a medium dose, and up to 52 pounds with the highest dose.
“Tirzepatide is the first investigational medicine to deliver more than 20% weight loss on average in a phase 3 study, reinforcing our confidence in its potential to help people living with obesity,” said Jeff Emmick, the vice president of product development at Eli Lilly.
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The once-weekly injectable drug suppresses appetite and increases energy expenditure by mimicking the effects of two gut hormones called GLP-1 and GIP. The drug was shown to be safe with relatively mild adverse reactions, including nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and constipation.
Tirzepatide will be going up against Novo Nordisk’s obesity drug Wegovy, a blockbuster injectable drug that helps people shed, on average, about 15% of their body weight. Wegovy ushered in billions in profits for the Danish drugmaker. Novo has projected that its obesity franchise will bring in about $3.5 billion by 2025.
They constitute a new class of obesity treatments after years of products with safety concerns and questionable science backing them up flooded the market. For that reason, doctors have often been apprehensive about prescribing treatments for obesity, while some insurance companies that do not consider obesity a disease have been quick to decline coverage.
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It is highly likely that tirzepatide will pull in major profits for Eli Lilly. The company has yet to submit its application for the Food and Drug Administration’s approval, but executives at the company believe that the promising trial results could lead to an expedited approval process, Bloomberg reported. Eli Lilly has already requested approval for the drug to be used in adults with Type 2 diabetes late last year, putting it on track to getting a decision over the summer.
