Oct 28 (Reuters) – Eli Lilly’s experimental next-generation drug retatrutide outperformed a lower-dose version of Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic on blood sugar control and showed more than double weight loss in a study of adults with type 2 diabetes.
The head-to-head trial compared 9 mg and 12 mg doses of Lilly’s retatrutide with a 2 mg dose of Novo’s diabetes drug Ozempic, Lilly said on Wednesday.
Here are some details:
• In the late-stage trial, both doses of retatrutide lowered A1C, a measure of blood sugar over time, by an average of 2.2% compared with Ozempic’s 1.8% at 80 weeks
• Those taking retatrutide lost an average of 44.3 pounds on the 9mg dose and 47.4 pounds on 12 mg compared with 20.9 pounds with Ozempic
• Lilly said the trial used Ozempic 2 mg as a comparator as it is the highest approved dose available
• Retatrutide also delivered greater improvements than Ozempic across certain cardiovascular risk factors
• “Based on these results and those from across our Phase 3 program, we believe retatrutide, if approved, could shift the treatment paradigm for people living with type 2 diabetes, obesity and related cardiometabolic conditions,” said Kenneth Custer, president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health
• The once weekly drug, retatrutide, activates three hormone receptors – GLP-1, GIP and glucagon – earning it the nickname “triple-G”
• Triple-G weight-loss drugs are expected to produce greater weight loss than earlier generations by combining appetite suppression, blood sugar control and increased calorie burning
(Reporting by Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)
