(NewsNation) — A next-gen obesity drug by pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly is showing promising signs for weight loss and knee pain relief following a recent clinical trial.
The drug, retatrutide, is administered as a once-weekly injection and is designed to target three metabolic processes related to weight and how it is stored in the body. The company announced Thursday that participants taking 12 milligrams of the drug lost an average of 71.2 lbs. or 28.7% of their body weight after roughly 16 months.
In addition, the company notes that the drug reduced participants’ WOMAC pain scores by nearly 76%, with one out of eight patients “completely free from knee pain at the end of the trial.”
“We believe retatrutide could become an important option for patients with significant weight loss needs and certain complications, including knee osteoarthritis,” the company said in a statement.
The company, which makes weight loss drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound, saw its stock price rise about 1.5% for the day following the announcement, according to The New York Times. Eli Lilly notes it plans to complete seven additional phase 3 clinical trials of the drug in 2026.