Eli Lilly drug smashes diabetes risk in obese people, study shows
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The news: Eli Lilly & Co.’s weight-loss drug Zepbound smashed the risk of developing diabetes in a three-year study involving over 1,000 obese and prediabetic patients, lowering it by 94%, the company said Tuesday.
The numbers: The study, the longest of its kind for its blockbuster drug Zepbound, revealed that patients on the highest 15mg weekly dose also lost 23% of their body weight over 176 weeks.
Eli Lilly's shares surged as much as 4.9% following the release.
The context: Eli Lilly wants to get regulatory approval of Zepbound for reducing type 2 diabetes risk.
Analysts note that while the data supports Zepbound's benefits, it is uncertain if the drug will be approved for diabetes prevention.
The study also showed some patients regained weight and experience increased diabetes progression after stopping the treatment.
The company is also studying whether Zepbound can prevent heart attacks and strokes, with results expected by 2027.
What they said: Preliminary results from the first 72 weeks of the study were published in medical journals in 2022. But the new data reinforces “the potential clinical benefits of long-term therapy for people living with obesity and pre-diabetes,” the company said in a statement.
