"Lost 20kg After Taking Diabetes Medication"…Stock Soars on Weight Loss Effect News

Eli Lilly's 'Mounjaro' Effect Draws Attention
Obesity Treatment Becomes Pharma Industry's Top Focus

'Obesity treatments' are emerging as a new hot topic in the pharmaceutical industry. After research showed that 'Mounjaro,' a diabetes treatment developed by global pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, is also effective for weight loss, the company's stock price hit a 52-week high.

Earlier, a research team led by Professor Thomas Wadden of the University of Pennsylvania published their findings on the effects of taking Mounjaro in the recent issue of the international journal Nature Medicine.

According to the research team, obese or overweight individuals who combined diet and exercise management with taking Mounjaro experienced weight loss of at least one-quarter of their initial body weight during the early stages of their diet.

On the other hand, the control group (which followed the same diet and exercise regimen but did not take Mounjaro) initially lost weight but eventually experienced a yo-yo effect after stopping their management.

Professor Wadden's team conducted this study with support from Eli Lilly. The study population consisted of obese or overweight individuals weighing 110 kg or more.

They were divided into two groups: one regularly administered Mounjaro, and the other given a placebo. Over the course of the study, participants in both groups succeeded in losing an average of 8 kg.

However, the diet results differed significantly depending on whether Mounjaro was administered. The group taking Mounjaro achieved an additional average weight loss of 20 kg, equivalent to 18.4% of their initial body weight. In contrast, the placebo group gained an additional 2.7 kg, equivalent to 2.5% of their initial body weight.

Obesity Treatment Drug Boom... Stock Prices of Developing Pharmaceutical Companies Soar

Eli Lilly's diabetes treatment 'Mounjaro (active ingredient: Tirzepatide)' [Image source=Eli Lilly]

Mounjaro, originally developed as a diabetes treatment, is currently approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Although it is prescribed primarily for treating diabetes, interest is growing in its off-label use as an obesity treatment due to its weight loss effects.

Mounjaro is an expensive medication costing over $1,000 per month (approximately 1.35 million KRW), but it is reportedly suffering from severe supply shortages due to already high demand.

Currently, representative obesity treatments include Wegovy and Ozempic, developed by the Danish company Novo Nordisk. In particular, Wegovy's public recognition has surged after it was revealed that Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, and American TV personality Kim Kardashian have used it.

Novo Nordisk's obesity treatment drug 'Ozempic'
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Companies developing obesity treatments are also attracting significant interest from global investors. Novo Nordisk recently surpassed the luxury goods group LVMH to become Europe's largest company by market capitalization (approximately $427.9 billion or 577 trillion KRW).

Eli Lilly's stock price has also surged following positive research results related to obesity treatment. As of the previous day's closing, the stock price stood at $616 (approximately 830,000 KRW), maintaining a 52-week all-time high level.

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