Could Lilly Retatrutide be a game-changer for obesity drug?

Retatrutide approved for phase 3 clinical trial

Up to 10% weight loss compared to conventional drugs

In the case of commercialization, it is expected to compete with blockbusters Wegovy and Mounjaro

Attention is focusing on whether Eli Lilly can commercialize another blockbuster drug in the global obesity drug market worth 13 trillion won by entering phase 3 clinical trials for new drug candidates, Orforglipron and Retatrutide.

 

According to related industries, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approved the phase 3 clinical trial to confirm the effect of once-weekly administration of Retatrutide in obese or overweight type 2 diabetes subjects in mid-March last month.

 

Orforglipron also recently announced the results of its phase 2 clinical trial through the American Diabetes Association and is preparing for a global phase 3 clinical trial.

 

Both candidates are a class of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists that mimic hormones produced in the gut lining, which slow down digestion and act on receptors in the brain to reduce appetite and thus promote weight loss.

 

is a mechanism that shows Retatrutide showed a weight loss effect of 24.2% after 48 weeks in the 12mg group, the highest dose, in a phase 2 clinical trial conducted on 281 diabetic patients aged 18 to 75 years.

 

Orforglipron showed a practical pharmacological effect on weight management in phase 2 clinical trials and is expected to be released at a lower price compared to existing treatments because it is easy to produce as a non-peptide oral tablet.

 

Two of the existing obesity treatment drugs contain Semaglutide and Tirzepatide, which are sold under the product names of Novo Nordisk Wegovy and Lily Mounjaro, respectively.

 

According to the announcement of the American Diabetes Association, orforglipron·retatrutide has advantages over Wegovy and Mounjaro, such as high weight loss effect, low price, and ease of administration.

 

Obesity drugs containing Semaglutide and Tirzepatide are effective in reducing body weight and blood sugar and alleviating high blood pressure but have the disadvantage of requiring weekly injections, being difficult to manufacture, and having high production costs because they are in the form of peptides.

 

Novo Nordisk plans to develop an oral treatment for GLP-1 series Wegovy within the year and obtain US and European approval and is expected to compete with Retatrutide.

 

This triple agonist simultaneously activates GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon receptors.

 

GLP-1 promotes insulin secretion to lower blood sugar, suppress appetite, and reduce the rate of food excretion from the stomach and is used as a treatment for diabetes and obesity.

 

Lilly's GLP-1 GIP dual agonist Mounjaro confirmed a 22.5% reduction effect when administered at the highest dose of 15 mg/0.5 ml for 72 weeks in obese patients without diabetes.

 

It is approved only as an adjunct to diet and exercise therapy.