Eli Lilly is preparing application materials for its next-generation weight-loss drug, retatrutide, after promising Phase 3 trial data. In one trial involving patients with type 2 diabetes, participants lost an average of nearly 13% of their body weight at an 80-week four milligram dose. A higher 12 milligram dose resulted in an average loss of nearly 21%.

Another trial focused on patients with severe obesity and cardiovascular disease demonstrated an average weight loss of nearly 56 pounds after 80 weeks, alongside improvements in cardiovascular risk factors. Lilly plans to use this data to support global submissions for retatrutide in treating obesity, knee osteoarthritis pain, and sleep apnea.

The pharmaceutical giant intends to submit the drug as a biologic for U.S. approval, with a target of the first quarter of 2027.