The next Ozempic? New weight-loss drug shows promising results
GENERATION OF THIS MEDICINE WILL BE GROUND BREAKING. I HAD A CHANCE TO VISIT THE HEADQUARTERS IN LOS ANGELES. >> ELI LILY'S NEW DRUG IS CALLED RET. >> WHEN WE SAW IT WORKED IN PRE-TRIAL STUDIES AND HOW IT WORKED IN PATIENTS IN THE FIRST TIME, WE KNEW WE WERE ON THE VERGE OF A BREAK-THROUGH. >> UNLIKE OZEMPIC, ACCORDING TO ELI LILY, THIS HARNESSES THREE. >> WE THINK A MEDICINE LIKE THIS COULD OFFER THE SAME LEVELS OF WEIGHT LOSS THAT YOU CAN SEE WITH BAR YAT RICK SURGERY.
>> IN THE SECOND CLINICAL TRIAL, PATIENTS LOST 17.5% OF THEIR BODY WEIGHT, MORE THAN 40 POUNDS IN 24 WEEKS. NEARLY 60 POUNDS IN 48 WEEKS. SHE WEIGHED CLOSE TO 300 POUNDS BEFORE TAKING PART IN THE TRIAL. >> IT HAS BEEN A ROLLER COASTER RIDE FOR MANY OF MY ADULT YEARS. >> WHILE SOME PARTICIPANTS WERE GIVEN A PLACEBO, SHE BELIEVES SHE GOT THE REAL INJECTION, DROPPING 60 POUNDS. >> REALIZING, THIS IS NOT MY SIZE ANYMORE. I LITERALLY HAVE TO GO TO GOOD WILL OR GIVE THESE AWAY. THAT WAS LIFE CHANGING TO ME. >> Reporter: TESTING IS IN THE EARLY STAGES AND APPROVAL IS YEARS AWAY. BUT ELI LILY IS HOPEFUL IT WILL GET FDA APPROVAL FOR A DIFFERENT DRUG THIS YEAR, THE WEIGHT LOSS VERSION OF MONJARO. THERE ARE ANALYSTS THAT SAY IT WILL BE THE MOST LUCRATIVE DRUG EVER MADE.
HYPERBOLE? >> PROBABLY, YES. WE TRY NOT TO FOCUS ON WHICH DRUGS ARE GOING TO BE REALLY BIG SELLERS. WHAT WE TRY AND FOCUS ON IS ARE WE MAKING MEDICINES THAT TREAT A DEEP, UNMET MEDICAL NEED. >> Reporter: OTHER PHARMACEUTICAL COMPANIES ARE DOING THE SAME. WHILE OBESITY DOCTORS SAY THE MEDICATIONS ON THE MARKET HAVE ALREADY CHANGED LIVES. >> IT'S BEEN TRANSFORMATIVE, TO SAY THE LEAST. I THINK IT'S GIVEN SO MANY PEOPLE HOPE THAT FELT HELPLESS IN THIS FIGHT AGAINST THE DISEASE OF OBESITY. >> Reporter: THE NEXT STEP WILL BE GETTING THE MEDICATION IN PILL FORM, WHICH ELI LILY IS WORKING ON. EASIER TO MAKE AND EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO ACCESS. >> IF WE HOPE THAT OBESITY CAN BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN REVERSE FOR THE MAJORITY OF PATIENTS, AND IN DOING SO, IT IS NOT JUST ABOUT HOW THEY LOOK OR HOW THEY FEEL. FOR PATIENTS, IT IS REALLY, WE BELIEVE, A CHANGE IN THEIR OVERALL HEALTH. >> I MEAN, TARGETING OBESITY, OBVIOUSLY, IS SO IMPORTANT FOR LIFE STUFF.
A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT SEE THESE DRUGS ARE THINKING, WELL, I WANT TO DROP SOME POUNDS, TOO. CAN THAT WORK FOR ME? >> THAT IS NOT WHAT THESE DRUGS ARE BEING APPROVED FOR. ELI LILY HAS A COUPLE THEY HOPE TO GET APPROVED. THEY ARE SPECIFICALLY FOR PEOPLE STRUGGLING WITH OBESITY, AND THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE IN THESE TRIALS. >> SPEAKING OF WEIGHT LOSS TOPICS, THERE WAS ANOTHER STUDY OUT. THIS ONE HAD TO DO WITH INTERMITTENT FASTING VERSUS TRADITIONAL CALORIE COUNTING. >> THIS IS OUT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS. IT MIGHT BE GOOD NEWS FOR PEOPLE THAT DON'T LIKE TO CALORIE COUNT. IT SHOWED THAT INTERMITTENT FASTING, SO NOT EATING BETWEEN THE HOURS, IN THIS CASE OF 12:00 AND 8:00 IS JUST AS EFFECTIVE. YOU LOSE AS MANY CALORIES AS CALORIE COUNTING. >> SO BETWEEN NOON AND 8:00 P.M., YOU CAN ONLY.
