Eli Lilly is developing eloralintide, an amylin-targeting drug that showed promising results in a Phase 2 trial, where patients using it in combination with tirzepatide lost an average of 23.3% of their body weight over 48 weeks, compared to 14.8% for those on tirzepatide alone.
Analysts, including David Risinger from Leerink Partners, project annual sales of $23.2 billion for Lilly's eloralintide products by 2035, with expectations for a standalone launch in 2029 and a combination therapy in 2030. The potential market is vast, as over 10 million individuals may not achieve desired results with GLP-1s.
However, the Phase 2 study's small size and the higher discontinuation rates due to side effects (10.8% to 27% for the combination therapy versus 2.9% for tirzepatide alone) highlight the need for further Phase 3 trials to confirm efficacy and improve tolerability.
Novo Nordisk is also pursuing amylin-based treatments, with its drug cagrilintide showing significant weight loss and a combination therapy called CagriSema expected to launch soon. The shift towards targeting multiple hormonal pathways in obesity treatment reflects a broader trend in the pharmaceutical industry, aiming to provide more personalized and effective options for patients