Eli Lilly says next-gen obesity drug curbs sleep apnea, among other benefits
NEW YORK, June 6 (Reuters) – Drugmaker Eli Lilly presented medical experts on Saturday with trial results showing its “next-generation obesity drug retatrutide” reduces the severity of sleep apnea, as well as increases weight loss and helps knee pain.
• In a Phase 3 trial, Lilly found that a weekly injection of retatrutide reduced the severity of moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea by 60.6% in adults with obesity. Lilly’s older drug, Zepbound, is approved for this condition.
• In the same trial, Lilly found that the drug reduced knee osteoarthritis pain by up to 73.1%. The results were presented at the American Diabetes Association conference in New Orleans.
• Lilly previously announced results from two studies presented Saturday that showed patients with obesity lost 28% of their body weight and adults with type 2 diabetes experienced significant drops in blood sugar levels.
• In one study, 2% of patients with diabetes taking the lowest dose of the drug experienced major adverse cardiovascular events. Such events are not necessarily caused by the drug, according to detailed results published in the Lancet on Saturday.
• Retatrutide is Lilly’s experimental “triple G” drug, targeting GLP-1, a second obesity-related hormone called GIP, and the body’s receptors for a third hormone called glucagon.
• The Indiana-based company and its rivals, including Denmark’s Novo Nordisk, are racing to dominate the emerging market for obesity and diabetes drugs.
(Reporting by Chris Prentice; Editing by Caroline Humer and Will Dunham)
