Lilly’s oral GLP-1 orforglipron succeeds in phase 3 obesity trial

INDIANAPOLIS - Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY), a prominent pharmaceutical company with a market capitalization of $625 billion and impressive gross profit margins of 82.6%, announced Tuesday that its investigational oral GLP-1 receptor agonist orforglipron met all primary and secondary endpoints in the Phase 3 ATTAIN-2 trial for adults with obesity or overweight and type 2 diabetes. According to InvestingPro data, the company’s strong financial health and 36.8% revenue growth over the last twelve months reflect its robust pipeline development capabilities.

Participants taking the highest dose (36 mg) lost an average of 22.9 pounds (10.5%) compared to 5.1 pounds (2.2%) with placebo after 72 weeks of treatment, according to the company’s statement. For deeper insights into Eli Lilly’s financial metrics and growth potential, InvestingPro subscribers have access to over 30 additional key metrics and exclusive analysis.

The once-daily oral medication also reduced A1C levels by 1.8% from a baseline of 8.1% at the highest dose, with 75% of participants in that group achieving an A1C level of 6.5% or below.

The trial enrolled over 1,600 participants across multiple countries who were randomized to receive either 6 mg, 12 mg, 36 mg of orforglipron or placebo.

The safety profile was consistent with injectable GLP-1 receptor agonists, with gastrointestinal effects being the most common adverse events. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and dyspepsia were reported more frequently in treatment groups than placebo.

Treatment discontinuation rates due to adverse events ranged from 6.1% to 10.6% across orforglipron doses compared to 4.6% with placebo. Overall discontinuation rates were similar between treatment groups and placebo (19.1% to 22.3% versus 20.0%).

With the completion of ATTAIN-2, Lilly stated it now has the full clinical data package required to initiate global regulatory submissions for orforglipron. Notably, 11 analysts have recently revised their earnings expectations upward for the company, and a comprehensive analysis of Lilly’s market position is available in the InvestingPro Research Report, part of the platform’s coverage of 1,400+ top US stocks.

The company highlighted that the medication can be taken at any time of day without food or water restrictions, potentially offering a more convenient alternative to injectable GLP-1 treatments.

Detailed results from the ATTAIN-2 trial will be presented at a future medical meeting and published in a peer-reviewed journal, according to the press release.

In other recent news, Immuneering Corp announced a clinical supply agreement with Eli Lilly and Company to evaluate its lead product candidate, atebimetinib, in combination with Eli Lilly’s olomorasib in a planned Phase 2 clinical trial. This study will target patients with locally advanced or metastatic KRAS G12c-mutant non-small cell lung cancer. Eli Lilly also reported that Anne White, the executive vice president and president of Lilly Neuroscience, will retire at the end of 2025 after a 30-year tenure. Meanwhile, Eli Lilly has increased the price of its weight loss drug Mounjaro in the United Kingdom by up to 170%, according to reports.

In other developments, Viking Therapeutics received a reiterated Buy rating and a $75.00 price target from Truist Securities following promising data from its Phase 2 VENTURE-Oral trial. The trial showed significant placebo-adjusted weight loss with various doses of its oral VK2735. Additionally, JPMorgan maintained an Overweight rating on Viking Therapeutics, citing the strong results from the same Phase 2a trial. These recent developments have garnered attention from investors and analysts alike.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.