Eli Lilly's drug to lead obesity, diabetes treatment: Report

New Delhi: Eli Lilly's Mounjaro is likely to become the leading therapy for obesity and Type-2 diabetes, according to a report on Thursday.

Diabetes drug Mounjaro's (tirzepatide) success in completing the second final stage trial for obesity has spiked Eli Lilly's market value and made it the most valuable pharmaceutical company in the world, with a market cap of $420 billion, surpassing Johnson & Johnson.

There have been several Phase III trials for Mounjaro, demonstrating a weight loss of up to 22.5 per cent of the patients' body weight (24kg) with more than 50 per cent of the patients taking Mounjaro achieving at least 20 per cent body weight reduction.

As a result of Mounjaro, Eli Lilly will remain one of the most highly valued pharmaceutical companies, said the report by GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

"Lilly's blockbuster therapy to tackle the global obesity pandemic will undoubtedly gain widespread adoption by patients and providers. The therapy will likely prove a popular alternative to bariatric surgery, as Mounjaro has been found to have the equivalent weight loss compared to it," said Akash Patel, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData.

"Mounjaro's approval in 2022 for Type-2 diabetes has already led to many prescribers providing the therapy off-label to their patients to help them lose weight," he added.

Lilly reported FY2022 sales of approximately $500 million for Mounjaro for Type-2 diabetes in the US and EU, but this is expected to increase significantly in 2023 due to strong demand for the drug for both diabetes and obesity.

A decision from the US Food and Drug Administration, regarding the treatment of Mounjaro for obesity, is possible later this year with Lilly currently finalising an application for fast-track approval.

"Key opinion leaders (KOLs) have reported that they have not seen a drug with similar efficacy in terms of weight loss and are highly keen to prescribe the therapy for patients with Type-2 diabetes and obesity, or those with obesity and high risk for Type-2 diabetes and other cardiorenal comorbidities," Patel said.