New weight loss drug targets a different hormone and delivers 20% results |
As many as 17% of people taking GLP-1 medications like Wegovy or Ozempic are “non-responders” who lose little to no weight. A Phase 2 trial published in The Lancet offers a possible alternative: eloralintide, a weekly injection that targets amylin, a pancreatic hormone released during meals that regulates appetite and slows gastric emptying.
After 48 weeks, participants taking various doses of eloralintide lost between 9 to 20% of their body weight, compared to 0.4% in the placebo group. 90% improved by at least one BMI category. The results matched current GLP-1 drugs, but researchers noticed something else.
“We did not see a nadir or plateau of weight loss, so I would expect weight loss to continue if the study continued for a longer duration,” explained Dr. Liana Billings, lead author and vice chair of research at Endeavor Health in Illinois.
The trial included 263 adults with obesity or overweight and at least one related health condition (excluding those with type 2 diabetes), who were given different doses of eloralintide or a placebo. Participants who received the drug also showed improvements in their blood pressure, lipid profiles, blood sugar management, and inflammatory markers.
With 3 billion people worldwide now overweight or obese, expanding treatment options to cover more of the 1 in 6 who fail to respond to existing medications is desirable. Phase 3 trials, which involve larger and more diverse populations, will be the next stage in the process leading to wider clinical use.
To learn about eloralintide’s cardiometabolic benefits, next steps in clinical trials, and what this means for personalizing obesity treatment, jump to “New GLP-1 alternative, eloralintide, leads to 20% weight loss in trial.”
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