From new trial data to cost comparisons with surgery, a wave of new findings is adding to the framework of how GLP-1s are being used and tested.
Here are five recent GLP-1 developments:
- Eli Lilly said its experimental oral GLP-1 drug orforglipron outperformed Novo Nordisk’s oral semaglutide in a 52-week phase 3 study analyzing 1,698 adults with Type 2 diabetes. The highest dose of orforglipron lowered average blood sugar by 2.2%, compared to 1.4% for semaglutide and patients lost an average of 9.2% of their weight versus 5.3% with Novo Nordisk’s pill.
- Eli Lilly also said its injectable GLP-1 Mounjaro helped children ages 10-17 with Type 2 diabetes reduce blood sugar levels by an average of 2% and lose more than 10% of their weight in a yearlong study, Bloomberg reported Sept. 17. Eli Lilly submitted results from the study to regulators, which could make Mounjaro the first GLP-1 to be cleared for pediatric use.
- A study by Swiss Re projected that widespread GLP-1 use could reduce all-cause mortality in the U.S. by 6.4% by 2045, with more modest declines in the U.K.
- Research published in JAMA Surgery by Highmark Health found that bariatric surgery offers greater weight loss and lower costs compared to GLP-1 drugs. In patients with severe obesity, bariatric surgery resulted in nearly three times as much weight loss as medications and cut healthcare costs by 18% over two years, saving nearly $12,000 per patient.
- Novo Nordisk also plans to seeks regulatory approval in the U.S. for its high-dose version shot of Wegovy to help regain its leading position in the obesity market, Bloomberg reported Sept. 16.
