Eli Lilly Biotechnology Center is shown in San Diego, California, March 1, 2023.
Mike Blake | Reuters
Eli Lilly on Thursday said it will start late-stage trials on its experimental amylin obesity drug next month after it showed encouraging results in a mid-stage study.
The highest dose of the weekly injection, called eloralintide, helped patients with obesity or who are overweight lose 20.1% of their body weight on average at 48 weeks. The results support the pharmaceutical giant’s efforts to bring next-generation treatments to the blockbuster weight loss drug market, and solidify its dominance in the segment.
The data bolsters Eli Lilly’s chances of bringing a strong competitor to the red-hot amylin space, in particular. Many industry analysts view so-called amylin analogs as the next wave of obesity treatments that could serve as an alternative or complementary option to existing injections targeting gut hormone GLP-1.
Several large drugmakers such as Roche and AbbVie have shelled out billions to buy or license experimental amylin treatments, and Novo Nordisk is developing its own drugs. Novo Nordisk — Eli Lilly’s chief rival in the obesity market — and Pfizer are also in the midst of a heated takeover war over Metsera, whose pipeline includes a potential once-monthly amylin drug.
Amylin analogs mimic a hormone co-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 Mounjaro, but some analysts and researchers say it could be easier for patients to tolerate and help them preserve lean muscle mass.
The lowest dose of Eli Lilly’s injection helped people lose 9.5% of their weight at 48 weeks, compared to 0.4% among those who received a placebo. Patients who used a two-step dose escalation – starting at a 6 milligram dose and increasing to a 9 milligram dose – lost 19.9% of their weight at 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 who took higher doses of the drug, according to Eli Lilly. Patients in groups that gradually increased doses of the drug saw lower side effects.
The company has yet to release detailed data on side effect rates and how many patients discontinued the treatment during the trial. Eli Lilly will present the data at the ObesityWeek scientific conference in Atlanta on Thursday.
