Eli Lilly’s (NYSE:LLY) shares triumphed Tuesday, on word its highly popular weight loss drug. Reports say tirzepatide reduced the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 94% in obese or overweight adults with pre-diabetes compared to a placebo.
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 has 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.
Eli Lilly tested tirzepatide in more than 1,000 adults over 176 weeks in the phase three trial, followed by a 17-week period where patients stopped treatment. It is the longest completed study on the drug to date, according to the company.
LLY shares flew $41.85, or 4.5%, to open Tuesday at $963.66.
