TL;DR
Get health and wellness essentials delivered free — and shop member deals
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Access to Prime Big Deal Days deals on October 6–7
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
In a 48-week phase IIb trial, adults with type 2 diabetes taking the highest tested dose of eloralintide plus tirzepatide lost an average 23.3% of their body weight, compared with 14.8% with tirzepatide alone. The combination also showed strong blood-sugar results, but more participants stopped treatment because of adverse events. Eli Lilly plans to move the combination into phase III development by year-end.
Adults with type 2 diabetes and overweight or obesity lost an average of 23.3% of their body weight over 48 weeks on the highest tested dose of investigational eloralintide plus tirzepatide, compared with 14.8% among participants taking tirzepatide alone, according to phase IIb results presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting in Milan. The findings suggest the combination could produce greater weight loss, but the trial also recorded more treatment discontinuations because of adverse events.
The double-blind, 10-arm trial randomized 367 adults in the United States and Argentina. Groups received placebo, eloralintide alone at three doses, tirzepatide alone, one of four combination regimens, or tirzepatide followed by eloralintide added at week 24. The reported weight-loss comparison used the study’s efficacy estimand, a specified analysis of treatment effect; the source report does not provide all details of that estimand.
In the highest-dose combination group, 25% of participants lost at least 30% of their body weight, compared with 12% on tirzepatide alone. The study also reported that 96% in each of those groups reached an HbA1c below 7%, a commonly used blood-sugar target. HbA1c below 5.7% was reached by 77% in the highest-dose combination group and 66% in the tirzepatide-alone group.
Tolerability differed between the groups. Treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 84% of participants receiving the highest-dose combination, versus 71.4% of those receiving tirzepatide alone. Discontinuations due to adverse events were reported for 27% and 2.9%, respectively. One participant died in a lowest-dose combination group; investigators judged the death unrelated to the study drug, according to the report.
Weight Loss Comes With Tolerability Trade-Off
The results matter because people with type 2 diabetes have historically lost less weight on GLP-1-based medicines than people without diabetes, and the reported 23.3% average loss was higher than the 20.9% weight loss cited for tirzepatide in non-diabetic populations. That comparison comes from separate study results, not a direct head-to-head trial across those populations, so it should not be read as proof that the combination outperforms tirzepatide in every setting.
The study points to a possible way of addressing weight and blood glucose together, but the higher discontinuation rate is a substantial qualification. The results are from a mid-stage trial and do not establish long-term safety, effectiveness in routine care, or whether the added weight loss would outweigh the tolerability burden for patients. The findings are not evidence that the investigational combination is approved for use.
GLP-1 receptor agonist weight loss medication
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Three Hormone Pathways in One Regimen
Eloralintide is a selective amylin receptor agonist, while tirzepatide acts on GIP and GLP-1 receptors. The investigational regimen combines these three hormone pathways, which are involved in appetite, nutrient response and blood-sugar regulation. During the trial, the drugs were administered as two separate injections; a single-injection formulation is being planned, according to the report.
Eloralintide is also being studied on its own in phase III trials for obesity. The phase IIb combination study tested several doses and treatment approaches, so its headline result concerns the highest-dose combination group rather than every regimen in the trial. The study’s 48-week results were presented by Liana Billings, MD, MMSc, of Endeavor Health, at the EASD annual meeting.
“These substances are released naturally by the body after eating, with each acting through its own distinct receptor to help regulate hunger and blood sugar.”
— Eli Lilly, the developer
diabetes weight management supplements
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Long-Term Benefit and Safety Remain Open
The results cover 48 weeks; the source report does not establish whether weight loss would continue, how long it would be maintained, or what the longer-term safety profile would be. The reported adverse-event discontinuations also leave questions about which side effects drove participants to stop and whether different doses or treatment schedules could change that rate.
The findings are from a phase IIb study, and the available report does not provide full results for every trial arm or detailed breakdowns of adverse events. It is also not clear from these results how the combination would compare with other treatment options in a direct trial, or how well the results would translate to broader patient populations.
injectable diabetes medications for weight loss
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Phase III Plans Set for Year-End
Eli Lilly plans to advance the combination into phase III development by the end of the year, according to the source report. Later trials will need to test whether the weight-loss and blood-sugar findings hold in larger or longer studies and provide more information about side effects, treatment discontinuation and suitable dosing.
The company also plans to develop a single-injection formulation of the two medicines after using separate injections in this trial. No phase III design, enrollment target or results timeline was provided in the source material, so those details remain pending.
prescription weight loss drugs for type 2 diabetes
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
How much weight did participants lose?
In the phase IIb trial’s efficacy-estimand analysis, the highest-dose eloralintide-tirzepatide group lost 23.3% of body weight over 48 weeks, compared with 14.8% for tirzepatide alone.
Was the combination better for blood sugar?
The reported share reaching HbA1c below 7% was 96% in both the highest-dose combination group and the tirzepatide-alone group. The combination group had a higher reported share below 5.7%: 77%, compared with 66%. These are results from this trial, not a guarantee for individual patients.
What were the main tolerability findings?
Treatment-emergent adverse events were reported in 84% of participants in the highest-dose combination group and 71.4% on tirzepatide alone. Discontinuation due to adverse events was 27% versus 2.9%, respectively.
Is eloralintide plus tirzepatide available as a treatment?
The combination is investigational in the reported study. The source says Lilly plans to advance it to phase III development by year-end; it does not report approval for clinical use.
What happens next?
Lilly plans to begin phase III development of the combination by the end of the year. Future study details, including trial size, design and timing, were not provided in the source report.
Source: rss
Cold & flu season Picks
humidifiers
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
