Eli Lilly’s Zepbound is ‘superior’ to rival weight loss drug Wegovy – Easy Method

Zepbound is the “superior” choice for people looking to shed a few pounds, at least compared to Novo Nordisk’s (NVO) Wegovy, according to Eli Lilly (LLY).

On Wednesday, the Indiana-based pharmaceutical firm released the topline results of a head-to-head clinical trial that it funded, which Lilly says is the first randomized, controlled clinical trial that compares the two weight loss drugs.

According to Lilly, which sells both Zepbound and Mounjaro, patients who received weekly shots of Zepbound lost an average of 20.2% of their body weight, or 50 pounds, after 72 weeks. Patients who took shots of Wegovy each week lost an average of 13.7% of their body weight during that period.

More than 31% of the people taking Zepbound reported at least 25% body weight loss, compared to just 16.1% of the patients who took Wegovy. Overall, Lilly said, Zepbound provided 47% more weight loss than Wegovy.

“We are thrilled that today’s findings showed the superior weight loss of Zepbound, which helped patients achieve 47% more relative weight loss compared to Wegovy,” Leonard C. Glass, senior vice president of global medical affairs at Lilly Cardiometabolic Health, said in a statement.

The trial results were based on tests of a randomized sample of 751 adults across the U.S., including Puerto Rico, who received the maximum tolerated dose of each drug. Each of the participants was either overweight or obese. The most commonly reported side effects were gastrointestinal-related.

The topline results were announced in a press release and haven’t yet been made available for peer review. Lilly said it will continue to evaluate its results before publishing them in a peer-reviewed journal and presenting them at a medical meeting in 2025.

Although past studies have demonstrated that Zepbound performed better than Wegovy, Lilly’s trial is the first to compare them side-by-side rather than relying on previously published data. It may lead to greater demand for Zepbound, which was first added to the Food and Drug Administration’s drug shortage list back in April. Both Zepbound and Mounjaro were taken off that list in October.

The rise of GLP-1 drugs, which mimic hormones that regulate blood sugar and suppress appetite, has been a major booster for Lilly and Novo Nordisk, making them the most valuable pharma companies in the world. A number of cheaper, off-brand versions have also made it to market as demand remains high for ways to lose weight.