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Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) announced Thursday that its diabetes therapy, Mounjaro (tirzepatide), succeeded in a late-stage trial designed to evaluate the cardiovascular benefits of the injectable against its heart disease therapy, Trulicity (dulaglutide).
Citing topline data from its SURPASS-CVOT Phase 3 trial, LLY said that the GIP/GLP-1 dual agonist, which is used off-label for weight loss, reached the trial’s primary objective, indicating a non-inferior reduction of major cardiovascular events such as stroke compared to Trulicity.
Detailed data suggested that Mounjaro cut the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack, or stroke by ~8% compared to Trulicity, a GLP-1 receptor agonist similar to Novo Nordisk’s (NVO) popular weight loss drug Wegovy.
In 2024, the FDA approved Wegovy to reduce the risk of serious heart problems, such as heart attacks, in obese or overweight adults with cardiovascular disease.
Indiana-based Lilly (NYSE:LLY) added that in the global trial of over 30,000 enrollees, Mounjaro also led to other health improvements, such as a reduction of A1C, a diabetes biomarker. The company plans to submit the results for review of global regulators by the end of 2025.