STAT+: Lilly shares safety, tolerability data on its next-gen obesity drug
Article excerpt
Eli Lilly unveiled fresh safety and tolerability data for retatrutide, its experimental obesity drug sometimes called a "triple G," at the American Diabetes Association's annual meeting Saturday. The pharmaceutical giant is racing to capitalize on the blockbuster success of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, which have transformed the weight-loss market. Retatrutide targets three hormone receptors instead of one, theoretically offering faster, more dramatic weight loss, though questions remain about long-term safety and side effects in broader populations. Lilly's presentation could signal how ready the company believes its drug is for wider clinical use.
Eli Lilly has already established that its next-generation obesity drug can lead to highly rapid weight loss. Researchers disclosed new data Saturday that provide more details on the safety and tolerability of the closely-watched therapy.
Lilly previously said that in one late-stage study, called TRANSCEND-T2D-1, retatrutide helped people with diabetes lower blood sugar and lose a significant amount of weight, which is notable since those who have diabetes tend to lose less weight on treatment than those who don’t.
New data showed that seven out of the 403 participants who received retatrutide experienced arrhythmias (irregular heart beats), and three treated participants experienced major cardiovascular complications, compared with none in the placebo group. The data were presented at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association and published in the Lancet.
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