Eli Lilly's (LLY, Financial) Zepbound (tirzepatide) has emerged as the superior choice in the competitive obesity treatment market, demonstrating a game-changing 20.2% average weight loss over 72 weeks in a head-to-head trial against Novo Nordisk's (NVO, Financial) Wegovy (semaglutide), which achieved a 13.7% reduction. The SURMOUNT-5 trial, which involved 751 participants without diabetes but with obesity or overweight and related conditions, showed Zepbound outperformed Wegovy on all primary and secondary endpoints. Remarkably, 31.6% of participants on Zepbound achieved over 25% weight loss, compared to 16.1% for Wegovy, setting a new benchmark for efficacy in obesity medications.
What makes Zepbound stand out is its dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist mechanism, a significant leap over Wegovy's mono GLP-1 receptor approach. This dual action leverages hormones that regulate blood sugar and digestion, enabling Zepbound to deliver transformative results. Despite mild-to-moderate gastrointestinal side effects in both treatments, the superior weight loss profile and safety reaffirm its potential as a revolutionary therapy in the obesity management space. “We are thrilled that today's findings showed the superior weight loss of Zepbound, which helped patients achieve 47% more relative weight loss compared to Wegovy,” said Leonard Glass, Eli Lilly's senior VP of global medical affairs.
The news has bolstered confidence in Eli Lilly's leadership in the obesity drug market, with its stock rising over 3.1% this morning and up nearly 44% year-to-date. Analysts are bullish on the implications, highlighting Zepbound's potential to set a new standard for weight-loss treatments, even as supply constraints remain a challenge for both Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. With further analysis and a peer-reviewed publication planned, Zepbound is poised to drive Eli Lilly's growth trajectory in the booming obesity medication sector.
