Eli Lilly $LLY (LLY) said Tuesday that the drug behind Zepbound was found to help nearly eliminate the risk of diabetes for adults who are pre-diabetic and are overweight or obese. The medication, tirzepatide, is sold by the company in the United States as Mounjaro for diabetes and Zepbound for weight loss.
The news builds on previous studies that suggest Zepbound may have additional health benefits aside for weight loss, making the case stronger for expanded health insurance coverage for the popular treatment.
The drug was tested over on 1,000 adults who had pre-diabetes and were overweight or obese over the course of three years.
Patients who took weekly doses of tirzepatide reduced their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 94%, compared to patients who were on a placebo.
Additionally, the drug was found to help with sustained weight loss. Through the course of the trial, patients taking weekly 15mg doses of tirzepatide lost on average of about 23% of their body weight, compared to 2% for study participants on a placebo.
“Obesity is a chronic disease that puts nearly 900 million adults worldwide at an increased risk of other complications such as type 2 diabetes,” said Jeff Emmick, senior vice president of product development at Lilly, in a statement. “Tirzepatide reduced the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 94% and resulted in sustained weight loss over the three-year treatment period. These data reinforce the potential clinical benefits of long-term therapy for people living with obesity and pre-diabetes.”
Eli Lilly (LLY) has already submitted data to the U.S Food and Drug Administration regarding the drug’s benefits for sleep apnea and heart failure.
If regulators expand the approved use of Zepbound the medication could join Novo Nordisk’s (NVO) Wegovy in being covered by Medicare.