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In Head-to-Head Study, Eli Lilly’s Diabetes Drug Candidate Surpasses Ozempic

March 8, 2021

Eli Lilly said its investigational drug, tirzepatide, reduced blood sugar and body weight in adults with type 2 diabetes significantly more than Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster Ozempic (semaglutide), in a head-to-head clinical study.

The phase 3 trial evaluated three different doses of injectable tirzepatide, 5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg, against a 1 mg dose of Ozempic, the highest approved formulation of the drug, which is also administered via injection. Novo Nordisk has applied for approval in both the U.S. and EU for a label extension allowing a 2 mg dose of its drug to be administered to type 2 diabetics.

According to Lilly, tirzepatide reduced blood sugar levels by 2.09 percent at 5 mg, 2.37 percent at 10 mg and 2.46 percent at 15 mg, vs. 1.86 percent for 1 mg of Ozempic over 40 weeks of treatment.

In addition, patients given tirzepatide lost more body weight than those taking Ozempic, with those who received the smallest, 5 mg dose seeing weight loss of 17.2 pounds, or 8.5 percent. By comparison, those who were dosed with 1 mg of Ozempic had reported weight loss of 13.7 pounds, or 6.7 percent.

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