Lilly's Retatrutide Shows Strong Sugar, Weight Loss Gains in Late-Stage Trial
Bengaluru: Eli Lilly's next-generation obesity drug showed a reduction in blood sugar levels during a late-stage trial, the drugmaker said on Thursday, as it looks to widen its lead in the heavily contested market for GLP-1 drugs.
Drug developers are racing to enter the highly competitive and booming obesity market dominated by injectable drugs such as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Lilly's Zepbound, prompting heavy investment in next-generation treatments that could deliver faster, deeper, or more durable weight loss.
Lilly tested the drug, retatrutide, in patients with type 2 diabetes who had inadequate glycemic control with diet and exercise alone, and a mean duration of diabetes of two and a half years.
During the 40-week trial, retatrutide reduced A1C, a measure of blood sugar over time, by an average of 1.7% to 2.0% across doses compared to an average reduction of 0.8% in placebo.
For a key secondary goal, patients who took the drug lost up to an average of 16.8% of their weight.
Overall, side effects were in line with those typically seen in weight-loss treatment trials, the company said, including gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.
In a previous trial, retatrutide helped patients lose an average of 28.7% of their weight, outperforming Lilly's blockbuster drug, Zepbound.
Retatrutide is a once-weekly injected drug designed to mimic the action of the GLP-1 hormone, which helps regulate blood sugar, slow stomach emptying and decrease appetite.
The drug activates three hormone receptors - GLP-1, GIP and glucagon - earning it the nickname "triple G". Triple-G weight loss drugs are expected to produce greater weight loss than earlier generations by combining appetite suppression, blood sugar control and increased calorie burning.
Lilly is also developing its weight-loss pill, orforglipron, which the company expects to launch in the second quarter of this year once it gets approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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