Lilly's amylin drug eloralintide posts more than 11% weight loss in a phase 1 trial

Eli Lilly has released early data on eloralintide, an experimental obesity drug that works differently from Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound. In a phase 1 trial, patients on the highest dose lost as much as 11.3% of their body weight after 12 weeks, with results varying by dose and dropping as low as 2.6% in a lower-dose group ^[2]. The findings were shared as an abstract ahead of the American Diabetes Association conference in Chicago ^[1].

Eloralintide is not a GLP-1 drug. It mimics amylin, a hormone released alongside insulin that slows digestion and reduces hunger ^[1]. This makes it part of a new wave of obesity drugs that industry analysts see as the successor to the GLP-1 and GIP drugs now on the market, including tirzepatide (Zepbound and Mounjaro) ^[1][2].

The trial enrolled 100 patients and tested a range of doses ^[2]. Along with weight loss, Lilly reported a relatively low rate of digestive side effects: about 10% of patients had diarrhea, with fewer reporting nausea or vomiting ^[2]. Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Prakhar Agrawal called the results "strong" for both weight loss and safety, noting that expectations for the drug had been low going in ^[1]. Jefferies analyst Akash Tewari said the data suggest the real successor to tirzepatide could be a combination of tirzepatide and eloralintide ^[1][2]. Lilly is already running a separate phase 1 trial combining the two drugs, which started in April ^[2].

Lilly is not alone in chasing amylin. Novo Nordisk is testing amylin-based compounds called amycretin and CagriSema, which pairs an amylin analog with semaglutide ^[1][2]. Roche paid up to $5.3 billion for rights to Zealand Pharma's amylin drug petrelintide ^[1], and AstraZeneca and AbbVie also have amylin programs in development ^[1][2]. Agrawal said Lilly's early data appear to be tracking better than Roche and Zealand's petrelintide and are meaningfully better than Novo's amylin monotherapy ^[1].

Not everyone is convinced the approach will hold up. Zealand Pharma CEO Adam Steensberg questioned whether Lilly's amylin-only strategy can deliver durable weight loss, arguing that engaging multiple hormone receptors, not just one type of amylin receptor, may be needed to avoid problems at higher doses ^[2].

Why it matters for patients

This is very early, small-scale data, not evidence that a new drug is coming to pharmacies soon. The trial only followed patients for 12 weeks, so it does not show what happens with longer use, whether weight loss keeps increasing the way it does with GLP-1 drugs, or what side effects might emerge over time ^[2]. Larger mid-stage trials are still underway, both for eloralintide alone and combined with tirzepatide ^[1][2].

For people currently using or considering GLP-1 medications, the news signals that more options, and possibly combination treatments, are being developed, but nothing about eloralintide is available now. The appeal analysts point to is that amylin-based drugs might offer meaningful weight loss with fewer of the gastrointestinal side effects tied to GLP-1 drugs ^[2], though that remains to be confirmed in larger, longer studies.

What happens next

Lilly is set to present the full eloralintide data on June 22, which could offer more detail on risks and benefits ^[2]. The company still needs to report results from its ongoing phase 1 trial combining eloralintide with tirzepatide, and to show whether weight loss continues to deepen past the 12-week mark seen so far ^[2]. Competing amylin programs from Novo Nordisk, Roche, Zealand, AbbVie, AstraZeneca, and Metsera are also moving through testing, meaning the amylin drug class overall remains in early stages with no near-term approvals expected ^[1][2].