Eli Lilly Says Its Weight Loss Drug Reduces Diabetes Risk by 94 Percent

Tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro and Zepbound, delayed patients’ progression to Type 2 diabetes.

An Eli Lilly and Company pharmaceutical manufacturing plant at 50 ImClone Drive in Branchburg, N.J., on March 5, 2021. Mike Segar/Reuters

A prescription drug injected weekly to help reduce weight in overweight and obese people was shown to significantly reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes (T2D).

Tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro and Zepbound, was shown to reduce the progression of T2D by 94 percent, according to a press release from Eli Lilly and Co., the drug’s manufacturer, on Tuesday.

Mounjaro is approved for treating T2D while Zepbound is approved for weight loss.

The results came out of Eli Lilly’s three-year trial in prediabetic adults. Patients who took tirzepatide were compared against controls who took placebos.

The study, involving 1,032 adults, resulted in an average weight loss of 23 percent at the end of the 176-week study period for 15 mg doses, the highest dose trialed, the drug company’s press release said. The participants who received lesser doses lost weight at the rates of 15 percent for five mg, and 20 percent for 10 mg injections.

Apart from weight loss, patients were also tracked for time to T2D onset and other metabolic markers like fasting insulin and cholesterol levels. The company did not disclose information on participants who progressed to T2D.

Both the placebo and intervention groups reported similar rates of adverse events. Those who took higher doses of tirzepatide reported lower rates of mortality and more serious adverse events than those in the placebo group.

Jeff Emmick, Eli Lilly’s senior vice-president of product development, said obesity is a chronic disease with 900 million people worldwide suffering from it. Obese people are at an increased risk of T2D. Emmick said the data supporting tirzepatide reinforce “the potential clinical benefits of long-term therapy for people living with obesity and pre-diabetes.”

More than 530 million adults around the world—or 1 in 10 people between 20 and 79 years of age—have diabetes. The condition kills nearly 7 million people a year, which translates to roughly one death every five seconds, according to the International Diabetes Foundation, a global network of diabetes organizations.

Prediabetes, which affects one in three U.S. adults, is a condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough to be diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes.

Following Drug Protocol Reduces Risk

The company said the study participants who discontinued the drug during a 17-week follow-up period did not do as well as those who continued to follow the treatment schedule. They began to regain weight, nevertheless, they still had a lower risk of progression to Type 2 diabetes than the control group, reporting a reduced risk by 88 percent, the company said

Tirzepatide works by activating hormone receptors that regulate appetite and food intake.

The medication is not recommended for pregnant women due to potential fetal harm.

Adverse reactions, reported in 5 percent or more of patients using the drug, include: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, and abdominal pain.

Eli Lilly warned that the medication may cause thyroid cancer, as well as serious stomach problems, kidney failure, gallbladder problems, and depression.

The Epoch Times contacted Eli Lilly for comments.