Eli Lilly reports promising weight-loss results from experimental treatments, while Sanofi and Regeneron expand their drug partnership in a deal worth up to $8 billion.
Webdesk: Zunaira Fatima
Eli Lilly has reported encouraging results from its latest weight-loss drug research, highlighting the growing competition in the global market for obesity treatments. The company’s recent clinical data showed that an experimental combination treatment produced greater weight loss than tirzepatide alone in adults with obesity or overweight and Type 2 diabetes.
The experimental treatment, known as EloraTZP, combines eloralintide with tirzepatide. In a 48-week Phase 2b study involving 367 adults, participants receiving the combination lost up to an average of 23.3% of their body weight, compared with 14.8% among those taking tirzepatide 15 milligrams alone. Lilly said the combination also produced greater reductions in blood sugar levels.
However, the treatment was also associated with more gastrointestinal side effects, and some participants stopped treatment during the trial. Lilly plans to begin Phase 3 trials of EloraTZP in the fourth quarter of 2026, meaning the treatment still requires further testing before any potential approval.
The development comes as pharmaceutical companies compete to introduce more effective and convenient obesity medicines. Lilly is also developing Foundayo, an oral treatment that has produced positive results in studies involving people with Type 2 diabetes. A recent indirect comparison found greater weight loss and improved blood-sugar control with Foundayo compared with oral semaglutide, although the medicines were not tested directly against each other in the same clinical trial.
Meanwhile, Sanofi and Regeneron have expanded their long-running partnership through a new drug-development agreement worth up to $8 billion. Sanofi will provide $1 billion upfront, while up to another $7 billion could be paid through future milestones. The companies will jointly develop four next-generation antibody treatments targeting inflammation-related diseases.
The developments underline the increasing investment by major pharmaceutical companies in next-generation medicines, particularly treatments aimed at obesity, diabetes and immune-related diseases. Further clinical trials and regulatory reviews will determine how these experimental treatments progress toward the market.
