Key Takeaways
- Eli Lilly’s retatrutide shows impressive results with 28.7% average weight loss and 75.8% pain reduction in obesity and knee osteoarthritis patients.
- The discontinuation rate was high, with 18.2% of patients dropping out due to adverse events in the trial.
- Shares in Lilly rose 1% following the announcement, responding to successful efficacy results despite concerns over safety.
Eli Lilly’s Trial Results for Retatrutide Show Promise
Eli Lilly’s Phase 3 trial of retatrutide, a triple agonist targeting GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon, has exceeded analysts’ expectations in its effectiveness for weight loss and pain relief among patients with obesity and knee osteoarthritis. The trial known as Triumph-4 involved 445 participants, assessing the drug against placebo over 68 weeks.
Patients administered a 12-mg dose of retatrutide lost an average of 28.7% of their body weight—it equates to approximately 71.2 pounds from a starting weight of 248.5 lbs. Those on the 9-mg dose experienced a 26.4% reduction, or 64.2 pounds. However, when accounting for those who dropped out of the study, the weight loss figures decreased to an average of 23.7% for the high dose.
Alongside weight loss, the study also focused on osteoarthritis pain scores. The results demonstrated a 75% reduction in pain for both retatrutide doses, compared to a mere 40% drop in the placebo group. These outcomes are significantly better than BMO Capital Markets’ predictions of 25% weight loss and a 60% decline in pain scores, and they also exceeded earlier results for Lilly’s other obesity drugs, Mounjaro and Zepbound.
Despite these positive results, safety concerns arose from a higher discontinuation rate. Overall, 18.2% of patients on the higher dose of retatrutide stopped treatment due to adverse events, which is substantially higher than the 4% rate of those on placebo. The lower dose saw a 12.2% discontinuation rate, still elevated compared to placebo.
The trial also recorded one particular side effect, dysesthesia, experienced by around 20% of participants on the 12-mg dose, though it remained mild for most. Lilly noted that the discontinuation rates were linked to patients’ baseline body mass index (BMI): among those with a BMI of 35 or higher, the discontinuation rates dropped to 8.8% and 12.1% for the lower and higher doses, respectively.
Investment analysts had forecast a potential lift in Lilly’s share price depending on the trial’s success, suggesting a 5% to 10% increase if results met certain expectations. Following the trial announcement, Lilly shares rose by 1% to $1,004 in early premarket trade.
Looking ahead, Lilly plans to conduct seven more trials of retatrutide focused on obesity and Type 2 diabetes, expanding the research around this promising triple hormone receptor agonist. The upcoming schedule includes trials examining results from a 4-mg maintenance dose administered once a week.
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