Eli Lilly Says Its Weight Loss Drug Reduces Diabetes Risk by 94 Percent

A prescription drug injected weekly to help reduce weight in overweight and obese people was shown to significantly reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes (T2D). Tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro and Zepbound, was shown to reduce the progression of T2D by 94 percent, according to a press release from Eli Lilly and Co., the drug’s manufacturer, on Tuesday. Mounjaro is approved for treating T2D while Zepbound is approved for weight loss. The results came out of Lilly and Co’s three-year trial in prediabetic adults. Patients who took tirzepatide were compared against controls who took placebos. The study, involving 1,032 adults, resulted in an average weight loss of 23 percent at the end of the 176-week study period for 15 mg doses, the highest dose trialed, the drug company’s press release said. The participants who received lesser doses lost weight at the rates of 15 percent for five mg, and 20 percent for 10 mg injections....