Eli Lilly’s experimental combination of eloralintide and tirzepatide produced greater average weight loss and blood-sugar reductions than tirzepatide alone in a 48-week Phase 2b trial involving 367 adults with obesity or overweight and type 2 diabetes.
Participants receiving the highest-dose combination, called EloraTZP, lost an average of 54.1 pounds, or 23.3% of body weight. Those receiving tirzepatide at 15 milligrams lost 34.4 pounds, or 14.8%. Average A1C, a measure of blood sugar over time, fell by 2.9 percentage points with the combination and 2.4 percentage points with tirzepatide alone.
The trial tested several dose combinations. The primary comparison was weight change with EloraTZP versus placebo; comparisons with tirzepatide alone were secondary. Lilly presented the results at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting in Milan.
Eloralintide acts on the amylin receptor, while tirzepatide targets GIP and GLP-1 receptors. Lilly is developing the combination to act on all three pathways.
Gastrointestinal problems were the most common adverse events. They were generally mild or moderate and occurred more often in the combination groups than in groups receiving either drug alone. Between 10.8% and 27.0% of participants receiving EloraTZP discontinued treatment because of adverse events, compared with 2.9% receiving tirzepatide alone.
Lilly plans to start Phase 3 trials of a co-formulated version of EloraTZP by the end of 2026, using an adjusted schedule for increasing doses. Eloralintide is also being studied on its own in Phase 3 obesity trials.
Subscribe to our e-Newsletters
Stay up to date with the latest news, articles, and events. Plus, get special offers
from American Pharmaceutical Review – all delivered right to your inbox!
Sign up now!