Eli Lilly (LLY, Financials), a pharmaceutical firm that focuses on diabetes, obesity and other chronic diseases, said it aims to petition for regulatory approval of retatrutide in the first quarter of 2027 after the medicine succeeded in two more phase 3 trials.
The filing comes later than previously expected as Lilly needs more time to finish manufacturing and quality-control data sought by regulators.
In one study, persons with obesity and Type 2 diabetes lost an average of up to 20.8% of their body weight, or approximately 50 pounds, after 80 weeks.
Another experiment with patients with extreme obesity and established cardiovascular disease revealed average weight loss of as much as 22.6%, or 55.8 pounds. Lilly also improved her blood sugar levels and cardiovascular risk factors.
The most prevalent side effects were nausea, diarrhea and constipation, similar with past research and other GLP-1 drugs.
Retatrutide targets three hormones related to hunger and metabolism, compared to one or two targets for existing medications. Lilly now has five late-stage studies with positive data.
Investors will be watching the 2027 filing timeline and whether retatrutide can help Lilly extend its lead in the fast-growing obesity drug market.