Eli Lilly's tirzepatide cuts diabetes risk by 94% in phase 3 trial

Eli Lilly announced positive results from its phase 3 SURMOUNT-1 trial this week, revealing that tirzepatide significantly reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in adults with pre-diabetes and obesity or who are overweight. 

According to Lilly, the 176-week study demonstrated a 94% reduction in diabetes progression among participants treated with weekly tirzepatide injections compared to a placebo group.

Lilly highlighted that the trial, the longest completed to date for tirzepatide (branded ZepBound and Mounjaro), also showed significant and sustained weight loss among participants. Those receiving the highest dose of tirzepatide experienced an average 22.9% reduction in body weight over the treatment period, compared to just 2.1% in the placebo group.

Lilly emphasized that these results reinforce the potential clinical benefits of tirzepatide as a long-term therapy for weight management and diabetes prevention. The trial involved 1,032 adults over a total of 193 weeks, with results supporting tirzepatide's dual action as a GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist.

Tirzepatide is a once-weekly injectable medication developed by Eli Lilly that acts as both a GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonist. By activating these receptors, tirzepatide helps regulate appetite, reduce food intake, and improve insulin sensitivity, leading to significant weight loss and lower blood glucose levels. It was first approved by the FDA in May 2022 under the brand name Mounjaro for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and later approved in November 2023 as Zepbound for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight.