Eli Lilly's experimental combo drug EloraTZP outperformed tirzepatide in a phase 2 trial, producing greater weight loss in patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity. The candidate is set to enter phase 3 testing in the fourth quarter, adding to a weight loss drug portfolio that already generates billions in quarterly revenue.
Eli Lilly's next weight loss candidate just cleared a phase 2 trial with results that beat tirzepatide alone. Patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity who took EloraTZP lost an average of 23.3% of their body weight, compared with 14.8% for those on tirzepatide alone.
EloraTZP combines three hormonal pathways
EloraTZP pairs tirzepatide with eloralintide, a selective amylin receptor agonist. Tirzepatide alone acts on two hormonal pathways, but the combination acts on three, with eloralintide working on the feeling of satiety and potentially lowering calorie intake. The candidate is set to begin phase 3 trials in the fourth quarter. Lilly is also running a separate phase 3 trial testing eloralintide on its own for obesity.
Weight loss drugs already drive Lilly's growth
The result builds on a business that is already central to Lilly's growth. The company's tirzepatide products, sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound, plus its newly launched weight loss pill Foundayo, brought in more than $14 billion in revenue in the recent quarter, out of $23 billion in total revenue. Lilly holds 60% of the U.S. GLP-1 market. Its market cap stands at $1.1 trillion.
Novo Nordisk and smaller rivals are still in the race
Novo Nordisk, seller of Ozempic and Wegovy, remains Lilly's main rival after launching the first GLP-1 drug and leading the market until Lilly gained ground last year. Analysts expect the weight loss drug market to approach $100 billion by the end of the decade. Biotech firm Viking Therapeutics and fellow pharma giant Pfizer are also advancing their own weight loss drug candidates.
EloraTZP still needs to clear phase 3 trials and win regulatory approval before it can reach patients.
Source: The Motley Fool
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