On December 4, local time, Eli Lilly announced the results of the Phase 3b clinical study of SURMOUNT-5. The subjects in the weight loss version of Zepbound lost 50.3 pounds (22.8 kg) at week 72, and the subjects in the weight loss version of Wegovy lost 33.1 pounds (15 kg) during the same period.

Compared with semaglutide, the average weight loss effect of Zepbound is 47% higher.

SURMOUNT-5 is a multicenter, randomized, open-label, head-to-head study designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Zepbound and semaglutide in obese or overweight adults with at least one comorbidity such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea or cardiovascular disease, and without diabetes.

A total of 751 participants were recruited in the trial and assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive the maximum tolerated dose of tirpotide (10mg or 15mg) or semaglutide (1.7mg or 2.4mg). At 72 weeks, the average weight loss of subjects in the tirpotide group was 20.2%, while the average weight loss in the semaglutide group was 13.7%. The results also showed that at 72 weeks, tirpotide showed superiority over semaglutide in the primary endpoint and all five key secondary endpoints. For example, the proportion of patients who lost more than a quarter of their body weight in the tirpotide group reached 31.6%, while the proportion in the semaglutide group was 16.1%.

Eli Lilly said that the overall safety performance of tirpotide in the SURMOUNT-5 trial was similar to that of the previous SURMOUNT trial, and no further details on side effects have been disclosed. In SURMOUNT-5, the most commonly reported adverse events for tirpotide and semaglutide were gastrointestinal related and were generally mild to moderate. Eli Lilly said it will continue to evaluate the results of SURMOUNT-5 and publish them in peer-reviewed journals, and it is expected to be announced at a medical conference next year.

In July, the weight-loss version of tirpotide injection (trade name: Mufengda) was approved in China. It is the first and currently the only approved GIP/GLP-1 dual-target agonist drug. The weight-loss version of semaglutide (trade name: Novowin), which was approved earlier than tirpotide, was officially launched in China in November this year, five months after its approval.

Novo Nordisk said it will make a full-channel layout covering public hospitals, private hospitals and pharmacies based on the distribution of obese patients across the country. At this year's CIIE, relevant personnel at the Novo Nordisk booth told Cyber ​​Blue that downstream channels such as pharmaceutical commerce have shown strong cooperation intentions.

In addition, Novo Nordisk has begun to apply for the provincial bidding listing of Novowin. The specific pricing can refer to the listing price.

It is understood that in retail pharmacies, the price of the three specifications of Novowin injection 0.68mg/ml, 2.27mg/ml and 3.2mg/ml are 1264.9 yuan, 1893.7 yuan and 2463 yuan respectively.

With the popularity of GLP-1, semaglutide is generally considered to be the new generation of global "drug king". In this context, not only Eli Lilly chose to "single" semaglutide, but many domestic pharmaceutical companies also launched layouts. In terms of weight loss, Hanyu Pharmaceutical launched a phase III clinical study to compare the efficacy and safety of HY310 injection and Novowin treatment for 44 weeks in obese patients; Innovent Biologics' GLP-1/GCGR dual agonist Masdu peptide also includes a head-to-head study with semaglutide, and the weight loss indication of the drug is expected to be approved next year.

In the field of diabetes, Borri Pharmaceuticals announced in August this year that its BGM0504 injection achieved positive results in a head-to-head study with semaglutide injection in phase II of type 2 diabetes. Borri Pharmaceuticals stated in an investor research report that the baseline levels of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and weight included in its clinical studies are comparable to a series of studies conducted in China on semaglutide, telportide and other similar products, and remain at a basically consistent level.

Data show that the number of people suffering from obesity has reached 1 billion worldwide, and at least 2.8 million overweight or obese adults die each year worldwide. However, the government and the public are still less concerned about obesity than other chronic diseases. From this perspective, the potential of weight loss drugs is self-evident.

In the short term, the GLP-1 field is still dominated by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. As more drugs are approved and more companies enter the market, the competition for market share will become more intense. Weight loss efficacy, drug convenience, adverse reaction level and price will become the competitive points of various companies.