The pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly has just released the latest data from a phase III trial of its experimental type 2 diabetes and obesity drug, tirzepatide. According to the results, some people lost up to 20% of their body weight in 72 weeks, much more than those in the placebo sample.
Treat chronic obesity
Obesity is a chronic disease that often does not receive the same level of care as other diseases. Its impact on physical, psychological and metabolic health is however very important. These include the increased risk ofhypertensionheart disease, cancer or depression.
Today, there are several approaches to combat obesity, but no miracle solution. Several pharmaceutical groups are nevertheless on the spot. This is particularly the case of Eli Lilly and Company, which has been looking for the right formula for several years. More recently, researchers in this laboratory have developed an experimental drug, tirzepatideaimed at fighting type 2 diabetes and obesity.
After several already conclusive preliminary tests, the researchers recently closed one phase III trial involving more than 2,500 patients overweight in the United States, Argentina, Brazil, China, India, Japan, Mexico, Russia and Taiwan. All of them also had a condition possibly related to their weight, with the exception of diabetes.
Tirzepatide works by increasing levels of GLP-1 and GIP hormones which play a crucial role in regulating our metabolism and hunger.
All of these patients received either a placebo or one of three different doses of tirzepatide. These were given weekly by injection under the skin to 72 weeks. In addition to treatment, each group was advised to follow a low-calorie diet and increase physical activity.
Twenty pounds lost
At the end of the trial, each group had lost weight on average. However, the loss was much greater in people in the tirzepatide groups. In detail, those who received a dose of five milligrams lost an average of 15% weight. Those who received a ten milligram dose lost 19.5%. Finally, those affected by the dose of fifteen milligrams lost 20.9%, which represents regarding twenty kilos. In comparison, people in the placebo group lost 3.1% of their average body weight.
Adverse effects were otherwise generally mild to moderate. These included nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
The results have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. They should therefore be taken with some caution. Even so, these figures are simply unprecedented for such a drug.
The company had already submitted tirzepatide for FDA approval as a diabetes treatment late last year. A decision on this indication is expected before the end of the second quarter. The pharmaceutical group will certainly submit its drug for approval as a treatment for obesity within a few months.