Eli Lilly’s weight-loss drug reduces diabetes risk in test

Eli Lilly's A hugely popular weight-loss drug reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in obese or overweight adults with prediabetes by 94 percent compared with a placebo, according to early results from a long-term study published Tuesday.

The advanced trial of tirzepatide, the active ingredient in the weight-loss injection Zepbound and the company's diabetes drug Mounjaro, also found that patients lost weight sustainably over the roughly three-year treatment period. Adults who received the highest weekly dose of the drug experienced an average weight loss of 22.9% after 176 weeks, compared with 2.1% for those who received a placebo.

The results suggest that Eli Lilly's treatment may significantly delay a possible diagnosis in people with prediabetes, or in people with blood sugar levels that are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes.

More than one in three Americans has prediabetes, according to recent government data. Health experts say this condition can be reversed with lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise. People who are overweight or obese are at higher risk for prediabetes.

The new data also show the potential long-term health benefits of taking a much-discussed class of obesity and diabetes drugs called GLP-1, which mimic hormones produced in the gut to curb appetite and regulate blood sugar. Like Eli Lilly's Zepbound and Mounjaro, as well as injections from competitor Novo Nordisk The popularity of drugs has skyrocketed over the past two years, and companies have been scrambling to explore other clinical uses for their drugs.

“Obesity is a chronic disease that puts nearly 900 million adults worldwide at increased risk for other complications, such as type 2 diabetes,” said Dr. Jeff Emmick, senior vice president of product development at Eli Lilly, in a statement. “These data support the potential clinical benefit of long-term therapy for people with obesity and prediabetes.”

Eli Lilly tested tirzepatide in more than 1,000 adults for 176 weeks in the Phase 3 trial, followed by a 17-week period during which patients stopped treatment. The company says it is the longest completed trial of the drug to date.

The drugmaker will submit the latest findings to a peer-reviewed journal and present them at an upcoming medical conference in November. Eli Lilly previously published results on 72-week weight loss in a larger group of patients from the same trial, called SUMOUNT-1, in 2022.

Patients in the study who stopped taking tirzepatide during the 17 weeks began to regain weight and experienced increased diabetes progression. But these participants still had an 88 percent lower risk of developing diabetes than those who received a placebo, according to the latest third-phase results.

According to Eli Lilly, the safety data for tirzepatide during the study were consistent with previous studies of the drug. The most common side effects were gastrointestinal in nature, such as diarrhea, nausea, constipation and vomiting, and were generally mild to moderate in severity.

Zepbound from Eli Lilly works by mimicking two naturally produced gut hormones called GLP-1 and GIP.

GLP helps reduce food intake and appetite. GIP, which also suppresses appetite, may also improve the way the body breaks down sugar and fat.