This Diabetes Drug Was “94% Effective” in Clinical Trials—What That Means for Us

Eli Lilly recently announced their new diabetes drug, Zepbound (tirzepatide). This drug brings promising news to both the medical and Black community, as many Black Americans are often at a higher risk due to genetics, socioeconomic status and other factors.  Tirzepatide is a medication focused on reducing the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes by 94 percent in prediabetic adults in a clinical trial according to Eli Lilly.  Tirzepatide was evaluated in 1,032 random adults who had prediabetes, obesity or were overweight for a treatment period of 176 weeks, followed by a 17-week off-treatment period (193 weeks in total). Preliminary study results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine.  Eli Lilly found that treatment with tirzepatide resulted in sustained weight loss through the treatment period, with adults on the 15 mg dose experiencing a 22.9 percent average decrease in body weight compared to 2.1 percent for placebo in adults with prediabetes and obesity or overweight at the end of the treatment period. These results provided evidence for a reduced risk of progression to type 2 diabetes and long-term maintenance of weight loss with tirzepatide in adults with prediabetes and obesity or overweight. How Zepbound works Lilly reports that...