Lilly's tirzepatide outperforms semaglutide

Eli Lilly (NYE: LLY) has announced that results from the SURPASS-2 study have been published in The New England Journal of Medicine, showing that its investigational drug tirzepatide achieved superior HbA1C and weight reductions compared to semaglutide in people with type 2 diabetes.

Weight management support in type 2 diabetes is important as approximately 85% of people with type 2 are carrying extra weight or are living with obesity, with figures likely to have increased during COVID lockdowns, the US pharma major noted.

A prespecified exploratory composite endpoint comprised of participants who achieved an HbA1C level less than or equal to 6.5% and weight loss of 10% or greater, while not experiencing hypoglycemia less than 54mg/dL (3 mmol/L) or severe hypoglycemia, was evaluated. Across the three doses of tirzepatide, 32% (5mg), 51% (10mg) and 60% (15mg) of participants achieved this composite endpoint compared to 22% of participants taking semaglutide 1mg.