Eli Lilly's investigational obesity drug reduced phase 2 study participants' weight by 24.2 percent after nearly a year's worth of treatment, marking more significant weight loss results compared to other drugs currently being studied or on the market.
In a trial for retatrutide, the average study participant lost 17.5 percent of their weight after 24 weeks and 24.2 percent after 48 weeks, Eli Lilly said in a June 26 news release. A placebo and the medication were administered subcutaneously in 338 adults who are overweight with a weight-related condition, not including Type 2 diabetes, or obese.
In comparison, an experimental pill version of Novo Nordisk's Ozempic resulted in 15.1 percent weight loss in a phase 3 study, and an approved injectable drug for chronic weight management, Wegovy, trimmed the average person's weight by 12.4 percent.