Zepbound crushes rivals, shares rise nearly 44% year-to-date

Eli Lilly’s (NYSE:LLY) Zepbound (tirzepatide) emerged as the best choice in the highly competitive obesity treatment market, demonstrating a breakthrough 20.2% average weight loss in a head-to-head comparison with Novo Nordisk (NYSE:LLY). over 72 weeks :NVO) Wegovy (semaglutide), which achieved a 13.7% reduction. The SURMOUNT-5 study, which included 751 participants without diabetes but with obesity or overweight and related conditions, showed that Zepbound outperformed Wegovy on all primary and secondary endpoints. Notably, 31.6% of participants on Zepbound achieved weight loss of over 25%, compared to 16.1% on Wegovy, setting a new benchmark for the effectiveness of anti-obesity medications.

What sets Zepbound apart is its dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist mechanism, a significant advance over Wegovy’s mono-GLP-1 receptor approach. This dual action utilizes hormones that regulate blood sugar and digestion, allowing Zepbound to deliver transformative results. Despite mild to moderate gastrointestinal side effects with both treatments, the superior weight loss profile and safety support their potential as a revolutionary therapy in the field of obesity treatment. “We are pleased that today’s results demonstrated Zepbound’s superior weight loss, helping patients achieve 47% greater relative weight loss compared to Wegovy,” said Leonard Glass, Eli Lilly senior vice president of global medical affairs.

The news boosted confidence in Eli Lilly’s leadership in the obesity drug market. The company’s stock was up over 3.1% this morning and up nearly 44% year-to-date. Analysts are optimistic about the impact, underscoring Zepbound’s potential to set a new standard for weight-loss treatments, even as supply constraints continue to pose a challenge for both Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. With further analysis and a peer-reviewed publication, Zepbound is poised to advance Eli Lilly’s growth trajectory in the booming obesity drug sector.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.