Eli Lilly's phase 2 study of Mounjaro and Zepbound found promising results for the medications to treat fatty liver disease, the drugmaker said Feb. 6.
The two medications are being tested among patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, a liver disease not related to alcohol use that estimates say affects 0.05% of U.S. adults. In the study, 74% of patients taking tirzepatide, the active pharmaceutical ingredient of Mounjaro and Zepbound, achieved an absence of MASH with fibrosis remaining stable after a year.
Among those taking the placebo, that figure was 13%. The trial included 190 adults with MASH with severe stages of liver scarring, according to a CNBC report, and Eli Lilly will present more findings later this year.
The drugs also showed strong results for reducing blood pressure on top of helping patients shed weight.
In its 2023 fourth-quarter update, Eli Lilly said it sold $2.21 billion worth of its Type 2 diabetes drug Mounjaro and $175 million worth of Zepbound, a weight loss drug approved in November.