A phase 3 trial found that Eli Lilly's tirzepatide significantly reduced the risk of progression to Type 2 diabetes in prediabetic adults over a three-year period. Nearly 99% of individuals treated with tirzepatide remained diabetes-free by the end of the study.
Tirzepatide is the active ingredient in the drugmaker's Mounjaro and Zepbound. The trial, conducted at multiple centers and published Nov. 13 in The New England Journal of Medicine, included more than 1,000 adults with obesity or overweight and prediabetes. It compared three doses (5 milligrams, 10 milligrams and 15 milligrams) to a placebo.
Results showed that tirzepatide reduced the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 94% compared to the placebo, with an average body weight reduction of up to 23% with the highest dose, according to a Nov. 13 news release from the drugmaker.
In addition to weight loss, the study noted improvements in several health markers, including blood pressure, insulin and lipids, with the effects sustained throughout the 176-week treatment period.