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LLY Down as Patients Regain Weight After Stopping Zepbound
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Shares of Eli Lilly (LLY - Free Report) lost 2.3% on Monday after it announced detailed results from the phase III SURMOUNT-4 study, which showed that patients who stop using its obesity drug Zepbound (tirzepatide) for over a year might slowly regain their lost weight. These results were also published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
The SURMOUNT-4 study evaluated Zepbound against placebo in adults with obesity or overweight with weight-related comorbidities (excluding type 2 diabetes) for over 88 weeks.
As part of the SURMOUNT-4 study design, the enrolled patients were initially required to take Zepbound for 36 weeks (“lead-in period”). A total of 670 study participants completed the 36-week treatment period and achieved a mean weight reduction of 20.9%. Subsequently, these study participants were then randomized into two equal groups (n=335) to either continue receiving Zepbound or switch to a placebo for an additional 52 weeks (‘randomization period’).
Data from the SURMOUNT-4 study showed that those patients who continued to receive Zepbound achieved an additional mean weight loss of 5.5% over the randomization period. However, those randomized in the placebo group reported an average weight gain of 14%.
The overall mean weight reduction during the 88-week treatment period was 25.3% for Zepbound-administered patients compared with 9.9% for those receiving placebo. In addition, only 16.6% of patients who received a placebo maintained at least 80% of the weight loss achieved during the lead-in period compared with 89.5% of patients who were administered Zepbound.
Shares of Eli Lilly have surged 59.6% year to date compared with the industry’s 4.3% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Zepbound was approved by the FDA last month for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight. It was launched by Lilly earlier this month. Tirzepatide was approved by the FDA last year under the trade name Mounjaro to treat adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (“T2DM”).
Since its launch, Mounjaro has shown an impressive initial uptake, recording $1.4 billion in revenues in third-quarter 2023.Prior to Zepbound’s approval, Mounjaro was being used off-label for weight loss. Approval of the obesity indication would help Lilly rake in billions of dollars from tirzepatidesales.
Apart from Zepbound, Lilly is also evaluating other obesity candidates in its pipeline. The company’s pipeline currently also includes retatrutide (GGG tri-agonist) and orforglipron, which are being developed for type II diabetes and obesity. Earlier this August, Lilly acquired private biotech Versanis to strengthen its position in the obesity market further.
The obesity market has garnered much interest lately, ever since Novo Nordisk (NVO - Free Report) received FDA approval for Wegovy. The FDA approved the Novo Nordisk drug in 2021 for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight. Since approval, sales of the Novo Nordisk drug have been rising consistently, driven by increased demand for the drug. In October, Novo Nordisk raised its sales growth outlook for the full year 2023 to 32-38% at CER, compared to the previously issued guidance of 27-33%.
The obesity market is acquiring interest from other large-cap drug makers like AstraZeneca (AZN - Free Report) and Roche (RHHBY - Free Report) , who are also looking into options to enter the lucrative obesity space.
Earlier this month, Roche announced its foray into the obesity market when it entered into an agreement to acquire privately owned Carmot Therapeutics for $2.7 billion. The acquisition provides Roche access to Carmot’s differentiated portfolio of incretins, including lead assets CT-388, CT-996 and CT-868. Per Roche, the incretin-based portfolio could also be expanded to other indications where incretins play a role, including cardiovascular, retinal and neurodegenerative diseases.
Last month, AstraZeneca announced that it has entered into an exclusive deal with Chinese private biotech Eccogene to develop the latter’s oral drug, ECC5004, for treating obesity, type-II diabetes and other cardiometabolic conditions. With the agreement, AstraZeneca will get exclusive global development and commercialization rights to Eccogene in all territories except China. In China, Eccogene and AstraZeneca have joint rights.
Image: Bigstock
LLY Down as Patients Regain Weight After Stopping Zepbound
Shares of Eli Lilly (LLY - Free Report) lost 2.3% on Monday after it announced detailed results from the phase III SURMOUNT-4 study, which showed that patients who stop using its obesity drug Zepbound (tirzepatide) for over a year might slowly regain their lost weight. These results were also published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
The SURMOUNT-4 study evaluated Zepbound against placebo in adults with obesity or overweight with weight-related comorbidities (excluding type 2 diabetes) for over 88 weeks.
As part of the SURMOUNT-4 study design, the enrolled patients were initially required to take Zepbound for 36 weeks (“lead-in period”). A total of 670 study participants completed the 36-week treatment period and achieved a mean weight reduction of 20.9%. Subsequently, these study participants were then randomized into two equal groups (n=335) to either continue receiving Zepbound or switch to a placebo for an additional 52 weeks (‘randomization period’).
Data from the SURMOUNT-4 study showed that those patients who continued to receive Zepbound achieved an additional mean weight loss of 5.5% over the randomization period. However, those randomized in the placebo group reported an average weight gain of 14%.
The overall mean weight reduction during the 88-week treatment period was 25.3% for Zepbound-administered patients compared with 9.9% for those receiving placebo. In addition, only 16.6% of patients who received a placebo maintained at least 80% of the weight loss achieved during the lead-in period compared with 89.5% of patients who were administered Zepbound.
Shares of Eli Lilly have surged 59.6% year to date compared with the industry’s 4.3% growth.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Zepbound was approved by the FDA last month for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight. It was launched by Lilly earlier this month. Tirzepatide was approved by the FDA last year under the trade name Mounjaro to treat adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (“T2DM”).
Since its launch, Mounjaro has shown an impressive initial uptake, recording $1.4 billion in revenues in third-quarter 2023.Prior to Zepbound’s approval, Mounjaro was being used off-label for weight loss. Approval of the obesity indication would help Lilly rake in billions of dollars from tirzepatidesales.
Apart from Zepbound, Lilly is also evaluating other obesity candidates in its pipeline. The company’s pipeline currently also includes retatrutide (GGG tri-agonist) and orforglipron, which are being developed for type II diabetes and obesity. Earlier this August, Lilly acquired private biotech Versanis to strengthen its position in the obesity market further.
The obesity market has garnered much interest lately, ever since Novo Nordisk (NVO - Free Report) received FDA approval for Wegovy. The FDA approved the Novo Nordisk drug in 2021 for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight. Since approval, sales of the Novo Nordisk drug have been rising consistently, driven by increased demand for the drug. In October, Novo Nordisk raised its sales growth outlook for the full year 2023 to 32-38% at CER, compared to the previously issued guidance of 27-33%.
The obesity market is acquiring interest from other large-cap drug makers like AstraZeneca (AZN - Free Report) and Roche (RHHBY - Free Report) , who are also looking into options to enter the lucrative obesity space.
Earlier this month, Roche announced its foray into the obesity market when it entered into an agreement to acquire privately owned Carmot Therapeutics for $2.7 billion. The acquisition provides Roche access to Carmot’s differentiated portfolio of incretins, including lead assets CT-388, CT-996 and CT-868. Per Roche, the incretin-based portfolio could also be expanded to other indications where incretins play a role, including cardiovascular, retinal and neurodegenerative diseases.
Last month, AstraZeneca announced that it has entered into an exclusive deal with Chinese private biotech Eccogene to develop the latter’s oral drug, ECC5004, for treating obesity, type-II diabetes and other cardiometabolic conditions. With the agreement, AstraZeneca will get exclusive global development and commercialization rights to Eccogene in all territories except China. In China, Eccogene and AstraZeneca have joint rights.
Eli Lilly and Company Price
Eli Lilly and Company price | Eli Lilly and Company Quote
Zacks Rank
Eli Lilly currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.