The recent rally in Eli Lilly’s market value, which made it to become the most valuable pharmaceutical company in the world, with a market cap of $420 billion, surpassing Johnson & Johnson, has come as the result of its blockbuster type 2 diabetes (T2D) drug Mounjaro (tirzepatide) successfully completing its second final-stage trial for obesity. Due to significant weight loss induced by it, Mounjaro is likely to become the leading therapy in obesity and T2D, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

There have been several Phase III trials for Mounjaro, with SURMOUNT-1 demonstrating a weight loss of up to 22.5% of patients’ body weight (52lbs or 24kg) and greater than 50% of patients taking Mounjaro achieving at least 20% body weight reductions. As a result of Mounjaro, Eli Lilly will remain as one of the most highly valued pharmaceutical companies.

Akash Patel, Pharma Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Lilly’s blockbuster therapy to tackle the global obesity pandemic will undoubtedly gain widespread adoption by patients and providers. The therapy will likely prove a popular alternative to bariatric surgery, as Mounjaro has been found to have the equivalent weight loss compared to it. Mounjaro’s approval in 2022 for T2D has already led to many prescribers providing the therapy off-label to their patients to help them lose weight.”

Lilly reported FY2022 sales of approximately $500 million for Mounjaro for T2D in the US and EU, but this is expected to increase significantly in 2023 due to strong demand for the drug for both T2D and obesity. A decision from the FDA, regarding the treatment of Mounjaro for obesity, is possible for later this year with Lilly currently finalizing an application for fast-track approval.

Patel concludes: “Key opinion leaders (KOLs) have reported that they have not seen a drug with similar efficacy in terms of weight loss and are highly keen to prescribe the therapy for patients with T2D and obesity, or those with obesity and high risk for T2D and other cardiorenal comorbidities.”