New Data Shows Tirzepatide Helps Prevent Diabetes

Eli Lilly's tirzepatide, already a leading treatment for type 2 diabetes and obesity, has shown new promise in preventing the very diseases it aims to treat. New data from the company's three-year SURMOUNT-1 study reveal that weekly injections of tirzepatide can significantly lower the risk of progression to type 2 diabetes in adults with pre-diabetes and obesity or overweight. The study evaluated different doses of the drug—5 mg, 10 mg, and 15 mg—and found that it reduced the risk of progression to type 2 diabetes by an impressive 94% compared to placebo.

Tirzepatide is marketed in the U.S. under two different names: Mounjaro for diabetes and Zepbound for obesity. In the SURMOUNT-1 trial, the drug also demonstrated its effectiveness in weight loss. Participants who took the highest dose of 15 mg lost an average of 22.9% of their body weight, in contrast to just a 2.1% reduction in the control group. Those on the 5 mg and 10 mg doses lost 15.4% and 19.9% of their body weight, respectively. Jeff Emmick, M.D., Ph.D., Lilly’s SVP of product development, emphasized the potential long-term benefits of tirzepatide for people struggling with obesity and pre-diabetes, based on these results.

The study involved 1,032 adults who had pre-diabetes and either obesity or overweight at the start. It spanned 176 weeks of treatment, followed by a 17-week off-treatment period, culminating in a total of 193 weeks. Initial findings from the SURMOUNT-1 trial had been previously published in the New England Journal of Medicine at the 72-week mark. Lilly plans to submit the latest data to a medical journal and present them at ObesityWeek 2024 in early November.

Interestingly, during the 17-week off-treatment period, participants who discontinued the drug began to regain weight and showed some increase in the progression to type 2 diabetes. The safety profile of tirzepatide remained consistent with previous observations, with common side effects including diarrhea, nausea, constipation, and vomiting.

Tirzepatide's potential extends beyond diabetes and obesity. The drug has shown positive outcomes in various conditions such as heart failure, sleep apnea, and fatty liver disease. Earlier this month, it performed well in Lilly’s phase 3 SUMMIT trial for patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) and obesity, reducing the risk of adverse heart failure outcomes—like hospitalization or cardiovascular death—by 38% versus placebo. The trial involved 731 patients.

Moreover, in June, tirzepatide showed promising results in treating metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH), previously known as NASH or fatty liver disease. The drug helped over 50% of patients across different doses reduce their fibrosis by at least one stage without worsening their MASH condition.

Despite occasional supply issues, Mounjaro and Zepbound have been highly successful for Eli Lilly, prompting the company to raise its full-year revenue guidance by $3 billion to a range between $45.5 billion and $46.6 billion. Specifically, tirzepatide sales were cited as a significant factor driving this decision. In the second quarter alone, Mounjaro generated $3.09 billion in revenue, while Zepbound brought in $1.24 billion. Fortunately, the supply constraints seem to have eased for now, as all doses of both medications were recently listed as available on the FDA’s online database of drug shortages.