On Thursday, March 28, 2024, Eli Lilly and Company’s Zepbound injection pen was installed in Brooklyn, New York, USA.
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Eli Lilly and CompanyThe weight loss drug Zepbound shows benefits for patients with Common types of heart failure and obesity, according to Late trial data The company released Thursday.
The findings add to evidence that Zepbound and other popular GLP-1 drugs have health benefits beyond promoting weight loss and regulating blood sugar, which could lead to broader insurance coverage of these treatments.
Eli Lilly said it plans to submit results from its Phase 3 trial to U.S. regulators and other agencies starting later this year.
Eli Lilly’s shares rose more than 3% in premarket trading Thursday.
The study found that patients taking Zepbound were 38% less likely to be hospitalized, need increased medication for heart failure, or die from heart complications compared with those taking a placebo. Zepbound also significantly improved heart failure symptoms and physical limitations, Eli Lilly said in a news release.
The trial followed more than 700 patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and obesity for an average of two years. Some patients also have diabetes.
HFpEF is when the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. Eli Lilly said the condition is associated with “high burden” of symptoms and physical limitations that impact patients’ daily lives, including fatigue, shortness of breath and lower exercise capacity.
About 6.7 million adults age 20 and older have heart failure, according to the American Heart Association latest estimate From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Eli Lilly estimates that HFpEF accounts for almost half of all heart failure cases, and nearly 60% of affected patients in the United States are also obese.
Zepbound’s safety data were consistent with previous trials studying the drug. The most common side effects are gastrointestinal effects such as nausea and diarrhea, which are mild to moderate in severity.
Eli Lilly will present the data at an upcoming medical meeting and submit it to a peer-reviewed journal.
The pharmaceutical giant’s main rival in the GLP-1 market, Novo Nordisk, is already one step ahead.
Novo Nordisk It submitted an application earlier this year to use its weight-loss drug Wegovy to treat patients with HFpEF. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration also approved Wegovy in April because it reduces the risk of serious heart complications.
Meanwhile, Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have been studying their respective drugs to treat patients with conditions such as chronic kidney disease and fatty liver disease. GLP-1 suppresses appetite and regulates blood sugar in humans by mimicking hormones produced in the gut.
But Zepbound targets both GLP-1 and GIP hormone receptors, while Wegovy targets only GLP-1.
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