Eli Lilly’s amylin agonist embarking on phase 3 trial

Announcement

Eli Lilly’s amylin agonist, eloralintide, successfully showed 20% of weight loss in its mid-stage study that marked the course for the phase 3 trial. The analyst, William Blair, claimed that eloralintide examines the amylin agonist class. The Phase 2 trial for the same involved 263 obese adults, overweight with one obesity based comorbidity, without type 2 diabetes.

The study successfully met its primary endpoint with enrolled patients receiving the highest dose (9mg), cutting 20.1% body weight after 48 weeks, compared highest than the placebo participants, losing 0.4% weight reduction with dose size. The results were out at the annual ObesityWeek meeting in Atlanta.

This is a prominent boost from the 11.3% weight loss provoked by eloralintide, in merger with Lilly’s excellent GLP-1 tirzepatide, involving 12 weeks in June. On Thursday, before the phase 2 readout, Leerink analysts stated that this earlier data is well harnessed. Evan Seigerman, a BMO Capital Markets analyst and colleagues said, “The data spotlights a capable best-in-class profile with the remark of ‘no apparent weight loss plateau’ and ‘clean safety’ in various arms of the study.”

Trial observation

Considering the safety aspect, the most common uncertain event noticed was that the trial were experienced mild to fatigue and moderate gastrointestinal symptoms, highlighted in Lilly’s press release. Lilly noted that these uncertain events were present largely in the higher dose cohorts and were diminished with slower dose escalation. These events reminded us of the placebo for the lower dose 3 mg and 1 mg arms.

Key opinion leader (KOL) said, ‘weight loss above 15% is an empowering outcome for the study.’ William Blair pointed out that the eloralintide has been successful in Wegovy-like weight loss with prominent enhanced GI tolerability. Following the phase 2 results, Lilly intends to start with the enrolment process for phase 3 studies for eloralintide in obesity next month.

Additional attempts by other companies for weight loss drug development

Apart from Lilly, Novo’s cagrilintide was tested in merger with its own GLP-1 excellent semaglutide in a partner group known, CagriSema. The duo drug achieved results of 22.7% weight loss after 68 weeks in a phase 3 trial in December 2024. Though the CagriSema faced a certain absence in March, with 15.7% weight loss in obesity or overweight patients with type 2 diabetes. The results clashed with the phase 3 REDEFINE 2 trial’s primary endpoint. The improvisation will make space for new potential outcomes in the near future.