Breaking News - Retatrutide clears first late-stage diabetes trial!
Eli Lilly on Thursday said its next-generation obesity drug Retatrutide cleared its first late-stage trial on Type 2 diabetes patients, helping them manage their blood sugar levels and lose weight.
The drug lowered hemoglobin A1c — a key measure of blood sugar levels — by an average of 1.7% to 2% across different doses at 40 weeks compared with placebo, meeting the study’s main goal. Patients started the trial with an A1c in the range of 7% to 9.5%, and were not taking other diabetes medications.
Retatrutide also met the study’s second goal, helping patients at the highest dose lose an average of 16.8% of their weight, or 36.6 pounds, at 40 weeks, when evaluating only patients who stayed on the drug. When analyzing all participants, including those who discontinued treatment, the highest dose of the drug helped patients lose 15.3% of their weight.
Patients with Type 2 diabetes historically struggle to lose weight, so Lilly is “very excited” to see that the drug led to both a competitive drop in blood sugar levels and significant weight loss, Ken Custer, president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health, said in an interview.
The company was also “very pleased” with the relatively low discontinuation rates due to side effects, which were up to 5%, he added.
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They are the second late-stage results to date on retatrutide, which works differently from existing injections and appears to be more effective, at least for weight loss. Lilly is betting big on retatrutide as the next pillar of its obesity portfolio after its blockbuster weight loss injection Zepbound and its upcoming pill, orforglipron.
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