In this article LLY Follow your favorite stocks CREATE FREE ACCOUNT An Eli Lilly & Co. Zepbound injection pen arranged in the Brooklyn borough of New York, US, on Thursday, March 28, 2024. Shelby Knowles | Bloomberg | Getty Images Eli Lilly's highly popular weight loss drug reduced the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 94% in obese or overweight adults with pre-diabetes compared to a placebo, according to initial results from a long-term study released on Tuesday.
The late-stage trial on tirzepatide, the active ingredient in the company's weight loss injection Zepbound and diabetes drug Mounjaro, also found that patients experienced sustained weight loss over the roughly three-year treatment period. Adults on the highest weekly dose of the drug saw a 22.9% decrease in body weight on average after 176 weeks, compared to 2.
1% for those who received a placebo. The results suggest that Eli Lilly's treatment could meaningfully delay a potential diagnosis for people with pre-diabetes, or those with blood sugar levels that are higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as Type 2 diabetes. More than one in three Americans have pre-diabetes, according to the latest government data, which health experts say can be reversed with lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise.
People who are overweight or have obesity are at a higher risk for pre-diabetes . The new data also shows the potential long-term health benefits of taking a buzzy class of obesity and diabetes medica.