Lilly tested its drug tirzepatide on patients with prediabetes and obesity. after three years, the patients were 94% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes compared to the placebo group. In addition, they lost an average of 22.9 percent of their body weight, compared with 2.1 percent in the placebo group. These data further confirm the potential clinical benefit of long-term treatment for patients with obesity and prediabetes.
Although tirzepatide is relatively new to the market (first approved in 2022), it's already a profitable drug. Last year, it generated $5.34 billion in sales. This year, it's on track to reach nearly $18 billion in sales!
Lilly's stock is closely tied to the company's efforts to expand the use of tirzepatide. The company is testing the efficacy of tirzepatide for a variety of conditions thought to be caused by obesity, including heart disease, sleep apnea and Alzheimer's disease.
Nearly 900 million adults worldwide are at risk for complications from obesity.
Eli Lilly also advocates long-term use of tizepatide. During a 17-week follow-up period, patients stopped treatment and some began to regain weight and develop type 2 diabetes. This resulted in an overall 88% reduction in the risk of developing diabetes.
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