Eli Lilly is aggressively pursuing advancements in the field of obesity treatment, accelerating the development of an oral medication option alongside a range of supplementary therapies.
Currently, the pharmaceutical giant is propelling forward with the development of orforglipron, an oral drug candidate, exploring new dosage options for tirzepatide—marketed as Mounjaro for diabetes—and nurturing early-stage candidates to amplify the potential weight loss benefits offered by the GLP-1 drug category. These developments were a focal point during Lilly’s recent earnings call for the third quarter.
“We’ve invested quite a lot in those phase 3 programs. They’re robust, cover multiple indications, so there’s no hesitation or trepidation there at all. We’ve had enough patients on this drug for long enough that I expect the risk of uncovering a new safety signal with sort of marginally higher doses is extremely low, so not worried about that at all.”
– Dan Skovronsky, M.D., Ph.D., Lilly’s chief scientific and medical officer, as well as president of Lilly Research Laboratories
A significant challenge identified for Lilly, and shared by other industry leaders like Novo Nordisk, is ensuring patients adhere to GLP-1 therapies for sustained weight loss, as cessation typically leads to the return of appetite and weight. Analysts noted that long-term adherence is a common issue for chronic conditions, yet Lilly is optimistic that patients will continue using tirzepatide, citing adherence patterns observed in diabetes patients using Mounjaro compared to another Lilly diabetes medication, Trulicity.
Also Read: Eli Lilly Expands Manufacturing to Meet Mounjaro Demand Surge
“We see ourselves as a leader in the space and have a unique opportunity. And our goal is to exploit every single idea until we get data that says we shouldn’t. So high dose tirzepatide is just another version of that. But it doesn’t have read-through to other things. We’re just in all-the-above mode in obesity.”
– Dan Skovronsky, M.D., Ph.D., Lilly’s chief scientific and medical officer, as well as president of Lilly Research Laboratories
Although Lilly has yet to gather long-term adherence data in the context of obesity, Mike Mason, the president of Lilly’s diabetes and obesity division, remarked that the patient experience with Novo’s Wegovy, which has been limited by supply issues, is not an accurate indicator for future adherence trends.
“Consumers will feel their appetite increase and experience weight regain when they stop tirzepatide, so this should help reinforce treatment adherence. Lilly’s market research has shown that people who lose weight want to maintain it.”
– Mike Mason
Also Read: Novo Nordisk Q3 Sales Surge on GLP-1 Meds Amid Manufacturing Queries
Lilly is exploring the potential of an oral candidate called orforglipron, and they are committed to accelerating its development, currently in phase 3 clinical trials. They envision orforglipron as a versatile solution, as it could be used as an initial treatment, for maintaining weight loss, or in combination with other therapies.
In a phase 2 study featured in the New England Journal of Medicine in June, orforglipron demonstrated a significant 14.7% reduction in weight after 36 weeks.
Additionally, Lilly has another oral medication called retatrutide, which recently completed a phase 2 study, showing an impressive average weight loss of 58 pounds at the end of 48 weeks. This success has led to the initiation of an extensive phase 3 program for retatrutide.
