Eli Lilly announced that its investigated GIP and GLP-1 inhibitor tirzepatide has demonstrated superiority over Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic in a Phase III study.
The SURPASS-2 study compared the efficacy and safety of tirzepatide 5 mg, 10 mg and 15 mg with Ozempic (semaglutide) 1 mg in adults with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes added to metformin.
All three doses of Lilly’s drug showed superior reductions in HbA1C and body weight when compared to Ozempic 1 mg.
In particular, the HbA1C reductions were -2.09% for the 5 mg dose, -2.37% for the 10 mg dose and -2.46% for the 15 mg dose, compared to -1, 86% for the Ozempic 1 mg dose.
In addition, tirzepatid also resulted in a significant weight reduction – -7.8 kg (5 mg), -10.3 kg (10 mg), -12.4 kg (15 mg) – compared to -6.2 kg for Ozempic (1 mg).
The number of participants who achieved an HbA1C value of <7% was also greater for all tirzepatid doses than in the Ozempic 1 mg group, with statistical significance for 10 mg and 15 mg, but not for 5 mg was achieved.
The safety profile of tirzepatide was similar to that of other GLP-1 drugs, with the most commonly reported side effects being nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.
Lilly reported that treatment discontinuation rates due to adverse reactions were 5.1% for tirzepatide 5 mg, 7.7% for tirzepatide 10 mg, 7.9% for tirzeparid 15 mg, and 3.8% for Ozempic 1 mg.
“These data suggest that[s] that tirzepatide has the potential to be a new treatment option to help people with type 2 diabetes better manage HbA1C and weight, ”said Kunal Gulati, Senior Medical Lead Diabetes, Lilly Northern Europe.
“As a leader in diabetes care, Lilly prides itself on researching and developing solutions that can lead to significant HbA1C reductions and weight loss to meet the needs of people with type 2 diabetes,” added he added.
