Eli Lilly and Company (LLY, Financials) said tirzepatide drastically reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes in pre-diabetics and obese or overweight people over 176 weeks; shares rose modestly after hours.

"Individuals treated with tirzepatide lost on average up to 23% of their body weight and maintained this for over three years, while benefitting from a substantial decrease in risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In absolute terms, nearly 99% of individuals treated with tirzepatide remained diabetes-free at 176 weeks," said Dr. Ania Jastreboff, director of the Yale Obesity Research Center.

"In the SURMOUNT-1 three-year study of tirzepatide, an average weight reduction of up to 22.9% was accompanied by a hazard ratio of 0.06 for progression to type 2 diabetes. This translates to a risk reduction of 94% and a number needed to treat of nine to prevent one case of diabetes," said Jeff Emmick, senior vice president of product development at Lilly.

Weekly doses of tirzepatide, sold as Zepbound for obesity and Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes, are given. The approved dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist addresses appetite control and weight management. The research also identified changes in glycemic control and cardiometabolic components like lipids and blood pressure.

The research found that tirzepatide was generally well-tolerated; gastrointestinal side symptoms included constipation, nausea, and diarrhea predominated in occurrence. Lilly plans continuous studies to evaluate tirzepatide for other diseases; additional regulatory bodies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, will receive later data submissions.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.