Lilly's weight-loss drug cuts diabetes risk in overweight patients

By Manas Mishra

(Reuters) -Eli Lilly's weight-loss drug, Zepbound, drastically cut the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in overweight or obese pre-diabetic adults after three years of weekly injections, the drugmaker said on Tuesday.

Shares of Lilly rose 4.4% to $962.02 in early trading, adding to an over 60% rise in stock value this year.

In a trial involving 1,032 adults, patients who were on weekly injections showed a 94% reduction in the risk of progression to type 2 diabetes, compared with placebo, Lilly reported in a statement.

"We just don't see numbers like this in metabolic space," BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan Seigerman said. He added that Novo's drug had also showed a 73% risk reduction after three years in a separate late-stage trial.

The Indianapolis, Indiana-based company said the data comes from the longest completed trial of the drug, and reinforces the long-term benefits of tirzepatide - the chemical name of its Zepbound and Mounjaro treatments.

Both Eli Lilly and rival Novo Nordisk have been pushing to extend the use of their obesity drugs to related conditions, which would help expand the patient pool and gain wider insurance coverage.

Early results from its late-stage trial, "SURMOUNT-1", were initially disclosed in 2022. The data at that time showed the drug helped cut weight significantly in obese patients, helping it to secure U.S. regulatory approval.

It was unclear if the company could file for approval to prevent diabetes based on the data, Leerink analyst David Risinger said. A pre-diabetes approval, however, could be a big upside for the stock, he added.

Lilly also said patients began to regain weight and showed some increase in the progression to type 2 diabetes when they stopped treatment during the trial. Detailed data would be presented later, it said.

Lilly's data comes amid concerns that patients reduce the use of weight-loss drugs over time.

Reuters reported in July that only one in four U.S. patients prescribed Novo's Wegovy or Ozempic for weight loss two years ago were still taking the popular medications.

(Reporting by Manas Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli, Tasim Zahid and Anil D'Silva)