Eli Lilly's weight-loss drug Zepbound lowers heart failure risk in late-stage study

Eli LillyThe weight reduction drug Zepbound showed advantages in patients with common kind of heart failure and obesity, in response to Data from late-stage studies the corporate announced on Thursday.

The results provide further evidence that Zepbound and other popular GLP-1 drugs offer health advantages beyond promoting weight reduction and regulating blood sugar levels, potentially resulting in broader coverage of those treatments by health insurers.

Eli Lilly announced that the corporate will present the outcomes of the Phase 3 trial to U.S. regulators and other authorities later this 12 months.

Eli Lilly shares rose greater than 3% in morning trading Thursday.

Patients taking Zepbound were 38% less prone to be hospitalized or die from heart complications and were less prone to need a dose increase. The study found that patients who received a placebo were more compliant with their heart failure medications than those that received a placebo. Zepbound also significantly improved heart failure symptoms and physical limitations, Eli Lilly said in a press release.

On average, the study followed greater than 700 patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and obesity for 2 years. Some patients also suffered from diabetes.

In HFpEF, the center is not any longer in a position to pump enough blood to satisfy the body's needs. Eli Lilly said the condition is related to a “high burden” of symptoms and physical limitations that affect the patient's every day life, including fatigue, shortness of breath and reduced physical performance, to call just a few.

About 6.7 million adults ages 20 and older within the United States suffer from heart failure, in response to the latest estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Eli Lilly estimates that HFpEF accounts for nearly half of all heart failure cases, and within the United States, nearly 60% of affected patients also suffer from obesity.

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The safety data for Zepbound were consistent with previous studies evaluating the drug. The most typical uncomfortable side effects were gastrointestinal in nature, akin to nausea and diarrhea, and were mild to moderate in severity.

Eli Lilly will present the info at an upcoming medical meeting and submit them to a peer-reviewed journal.

The pharmaceutical giant's essential competitor within the GLP-1 market, Novo Nordisk, is already one step ahead.

Novo Nordisk submitted an application earlier this 12 months for the usage of its weight-loss drug Wegovy to treat patients with HFpEF. The Food and Drug Administration also gave Wegovy the green light in March since it dramatically reduces the chance of significant heart complications.

Meanwhile, each Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have tested their respective drugs on patients with chronic kidney disease and fatty liver disease, in addition to other diseases. GLP-1s work by mimicking hormones produced within the gut to suppress an individual's appetite and regulate their blood sugar.

But Zepbound targets each the GLP-1 and GIP hormone receptors, while Wegovy only targets GLP-1.

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