Eli Lilly’s obesity drug amylin shows up to 20% weight loss in study

Eli Lilly The US drugmaker said on Thursday it will begin late-stage trials of experimental obesity drug amylin next month after it showed encouraging results in a mid-stage study.

The highest dose of the weekly injection, called loralintide, helped obese or overweight patients lose an average of 20.1% of their body weight over 48 weeks. The results support the pharmaceutical giant’s efforts to bring next-generation therapies to the blockbuster weight-loss drug market, and consolidate its dominance in the sector.

The data strengthens Eli Lilly’s chances of bringing a strong competitor to the ultra-heat amylene space, in particular. Many industry analysts view so-called amylin analogues as the next wave of obesity treatments that could serve as an alternative or complementary option to existing injections that target the gut hormone GLP-1.

Many major pharmaceutical companies such as Rosh and AbbVie They have spent billions to buy or license experimental amylin treatments, and Novo Nordisk It develops its own medicines. Novo Nordisk – Eli Lilly’s main competitor in the obesity market – and Pfizer It is also in the midst of a heated takeover war for Metsera, whose pipeline includes potential once-a-month drug amylin.

Amylin analogues mimic a hormone secreted with insulin in the pancreas to suppress appetite and reduce food intake. Amylin treatments have a similar effect to GLP-1s like Lilly’s Zepbound and Moonjaro, but some analysts and researchers say they may be easier for patients to tolerate and help them maintain lean muscle mass.

The lowest dose of Eli Lilly’s shot helped people lose 9.5% of their weight over 48 weeks, compared with 0.4% among those who received a placebo. Patients who used dose escalation in two stages — starting with a 6-milligram dose and increasing to a 9-milligram dose — lost 19.9% ​​of their weight in 48 weeks. People who used a three-step dose escalation that started at 3 milligrams lost 16.4% of their weight.

The most common side effects of the injection were mild to moderate gastrointestinal symptoms and fatigue, which were observed more frequently in patients taking higher doses of the drug, according to Eli Lilly. Patients in the groups that gradually increased drug doses experienced fewer side effects.

The company has not yet released detailed data on side effect rates and the number of patients who stopped treatment during the trial. Eli Lilly is scheduled to present these data at the ObesityWeek scientific conference in Atlanta on Thursday.