Despite seeing some regain, patients in two trials maintained most of their weight loss after switching to either Foundayo or lower-dose Zepbound from other injectable incretin therapies.
Patients who switch from higher-dose incretin therapies to Eli Lilly’s obesity pill Foundayo or a lower strength of its injectable drug Zepbound can maintain their weight loss long-term, according to readouts from two late-stage studies—findings that analysts say can help the pharma eke out an advantage in the script showoff against Novo Nordisk.
“While Foundayo scripts have been trending upward since launch in April, scripts have lagged vs. that of the Wegovy Pill and Street expectations,” BMO Capital Markets told investors in an early Wednesday note. “Novo’s first mover advantage in the oral GLP-1 anti-obesity treatment space, and injectable-like efficacy associated with the Wegovy Pill, have supported more accelerated uptake for the product.”
The maintenance setting, however, is where Lilly’s Foundayo could have an edge. “Efficacy has been the leading driver of oral GLP-1 uptake, but convenience is likely to dominate in the maintenance setting,” the analysts said.
Both Foundayo and Novo’s Wegovy pill are taken once-daily, but Lilly’s drug claims the advantage of having no food restrictions. Patients who take oral Wegovy are asked to refrain from eating or drinking for 30 minutes after medication.
In turn, Lilly’s pill is set for “dominance” in the maintenance market, BMO added, with some patients on injectable Wegovy potentially choosing to transition to Foundayo.
Lilly studied maintenance Foundayo in the Phase 3 ATTAIN-MAINTAIN study, enrolling more than 370 patients who had achieved weight loss on an injectable incretin therapy. Results released Tuesday showed that while there was some rebound, switching to Lilly’s pill sustained most of the initial weight reduction.
Patients on Zepbound dropped from an average weight of 115.8 kg (255 pounds) at the start of injectable therapy to 90.9 kg (198 pounds) right before switching. After 52 weeks on Foundayo treatment, average weight in this group rose slightly to 95.9 kg (211 pounds). Similar results were observed for patients who transitioned from injectable Wegovy to Foundayo.
“Results clearly confirm the opportunity for Foundayo as a viable maintenance therapy post injectable incretin treatment,” BMO said on Tuesday.
Also on Tuesday, Lilly released data from the Phase 3b SURMOUNT-MAINTAIN study, which assessed the efficacy of a lower dose of injectable Zepbound to maintain weight loss in patients who had been treated with the maximum tolerated dose of the product. Results showed slight weight regain after switching to lower-dose Zepbound, but patients did not return to their original weight before treatment.
“SURMOUNT-MAINTAIN results clearly demonstrate an ability to transition Zepbound patients to maintenance dosing either through dose reduction or dose maintenance, supporting longer durability use of the product in the future,” BMO noted.
