Biotech
Tuesday, December 12th, 2023 3:11 pm EDT
Key Points
- Weight Regain After Discontinuation: Patients who took Eli Lilly’s weight loss drug Zepbound experienced weight regain, with those who discontinued the treatment regaining approximately half of the lost weight after a year. The data from an 88-week study, funded by Eli Lilly, suggests that maintaining significant weight loss may require individuals to stay on the weekly injection.
- Market Impact on Eli Lilly: The release of the study’s full results led to a more than 2% decline in Eli Lilly’s shares. Zepbound, along with Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, has gained popularity for its weight loss effects, leading to supply shortages in the U.S. Some analysts believe Zepbound could potentially become the best-selling drug of all time. The study results and their impact on the market underscore the significance of effective weight loss medications for pharmaceutical companies.
- Long-Term Concerns and Ongoing Treatment: The study involving 670 obese patients without diabetes demonstrated that those who continued Zepbound for an additional 52 weeks experienced further weight loss, while those who switched to a placebo regained a substantial amount of weight. The findings raise concerns about the long-term costs for health insurers covering these high-priced weight loss drugs. The study highlights the chronic nature of obesity and suggests that ongoing treatment, rather than discontinuation after meeting weight goals, may be necessary for maintaining weight loss.
Patients who took Eli Lilly’s weight loss drug Zepbound regained approximately half the weight they had lost after stopping the treatment for a year, according to data released in the research journal JAMA. The study, funded by Eli Lilly, spanned 88 weeks and included 670 obese patients without diabetes. Initial results, released in July, indicated that patients lost an average of 20% of their body weight after taking Zepbound for 36 weeks. Half of the patients continued the drug for an additional 52 weeks, while the other half switched to a placebo. Those who continued Zepbound lost an additional 6.7% of their weight, while those who stopped regained 14.8% of their weight. Despite the weight regain, those who discontinued Zepbound still ended the study with 9.9% less weight than they started with. The study suggests that individuals may need to stay on the weekly injection to maintain significant weight loss. The findings raised concerns about the long-term coverage costs for high-priced weight loss drugs, as patients who discontinued such medications tended to regain weight.
For the full original article on CNBC, please click here: https://www.cnbc.com/2023/12/11/zepbound-patients-on-eli-lilly-drug-regain-weight-after-stopping-it.html
