Eli Lilly said on Wednesday, patients taking its weight loss drug Zepbound lost 47% more weight than those who were given Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy in the first large clinical trial of the highly in-demand rival medicines.
In the 751-person trial, Zepbound helped patients lose an average of 20.2% of their weight after 72 weeks compared to 13.7% for the group treated with Wegovy, Lilly said.
The data comparing the wildly popular medicines shows for the first time that when trial parameters are the same, Lilly’s drug, which mimics two gut hormones, is more effective for weight loss than Wegovy with its single mode of action.
The trial included Participants who were either obese or overweight and had related health conditions like obstructive sleep apnea or heart disease. None of the participants had diabetes.
To reclaim an advantage against Lilly in terms of efficacy, Novo Nordisk is relying on a new medication in development called CagriSema with a dual mechanism of action. This month, the Danish pharmaceutical company anticipates the findings of its late-stage research, which could lead to a 25% weight loss.
Scientists and doctors who have monitored the rise of the popular obesity medications won’t be surprised by the outcome. Results are like those of the businesses’ diabetes medications, which use the same active components and are marketed under the Mounjaro and Ozempic brands.
Market Impact
Following the trial’s verdict, the U.S. drugmaker’s stock increased 2.5% to a three-week high, adding approximately $19 billion to Lilly’s market value and taking it over $790 billion. Meanwhile, Novo Nordisk’s Copenhagen-listed shares fell as much as 1.8% and were down 0.5% at 1547 GMT.
‘SET A HIGH BAR’
Lukas Leu, fund manager at healthcare-focused Bellevue Asset Management in Switzerland, said the Wegovy-to-Zepbound comparison was broadly in line with expectations but underscored the pressure on weight-loss pioneer Novo.
“Lilly has set a high bar with Zepbound and it is expected to also have trial data for an oral drug, also in Phase 3, during the first half next year,” said Leu, referring to experimental daily pill orforglipron.
Background
Both Zepbound and Wegovy received U.S. approval based on separate trials. Zepbound demonstrated over 22% weight loss after 72 weeks, while Wegovy showed 15% weight loss after 68 weeks.
This latest trial, directly comparing the two drugs under identical conditions, reinforces Zepbound’s position as a leading contender in the obesity treatment market.