STAT+: Eli Lilly says its weight loss drug Zepbound outperformed Wegovy in a study

Eli Lilly said its weight loss drug Zepbound led to 47% greater weight reduction than rival medicine Wegovy, made by Novo Nordisk, in a head-to-head randomized controlled trial.

The result, made public in a press release Wednesday, will not come as a surprise to scientists or physicians who have closely followed the rise of the blockbuster obesity medicines. It mirrors results seen in the companies’ diabetes drugs, which use the same active ingredients which are sold under the brand names Mounjaro and Ozempic. Similar results have been seen in observational studies and in previous clinical trials that compared the medicines separately to placebo.

But documenting the differences between Zepbound and Wegovy in a rigorous way is still an important step, especially because it might allow Lilly to make marketing claims about Zepbound’s superior efficacy. That, in turn, could help the company gain market share against Novo. 

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