Eli Lilly's Retatrutide Succeeds in Phase 3 Diabetes Trial

Eli Lilly and Company announced positive results Thursday from the first Phase 3 clinical trial of its investigational drug retatrutide, showing significant improvements in blood sugar control and weight loss among patients with Type 2 diabetes.

The 40-week study, known as TRANSCEND-T2D1, involved more than 2,050 participants who managed their condition through diet and exercise alone, with baseline hemoglobin A1c levels between 7 and 9.5 percent and an average diabetes duration of about 2.5 years. None were taking other diabetes medications. Retatrutide, administered as a once-weekly injection, reduced A1c by an average of 1.7 to 2.0 percentage points across doses, compared to a 0.8-point drop in the placebo group, meeting the trial's primary goal. For the key secondary endpoint, patients on the highest 12-milligram dose who completed the study lost an average of 16.8 percent of their body weight, or 36.6 pounds. Including those who discontinued treatment, the average loss was 15.3 percent.

The drug also improved other cardiovascular risk factors, such as non-HDL cholesterol, triglycerides and systolic blood pressure, with no observed plateau in weight loss during the trial...