Fresh off Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide approval for weight loss in China, Beijing-based Gan & Lee Pharmaceuticals posted Phase 2b data of its GLP-1 rival that stacks up positively against market leaders.
The biotech reported Monday that the highest dose of its twice-monthly GLP-1 receptor agonist injection spurred a 17.3% reduction in weight by 30 weeks in overweight and obese study participants. Notably, the company says that “participants’ body weight continued to decrease.”
Those data compare favorably to Lilly and Novo Nordisk. Though the follow-up periods were more than twice as long, Lilly’s GLP-1/GIP agonist tirzepatide offered a 21.1% body weight drop on average over 72 weeks in a pivotal trial. Novo’s GLP-1 agonist semaglutide notched a 14.9% mean reduction in weight by 68 weeks.
Gan & Lee injected GZR18 twice monthly across four dose levels, maxing out at 48 mg. They also tried a once-weekly 24 mg dose that spurred a relatively higher 17.78% reduction in weight. The double-blind, placebo-controlled study included 340 participants across 25 sites in China.
The company said the side effects were comparable to the other GLP-1 options, with “gastrointestinal reactions” the most common adverse events. Most were mild to moderate cases, Gan & Lee said.
Last week, Lilly nabbed approval in China, cracking into a seismic market that will further grow the drug’s blockbuster status. It’s playing catch up with Novo, which won approval there in late June for semaglutide.
Both drugs will look to gain a foothold in China just as the government is working to better educate its population on high obesity rates. Guo Yanhong, director of the health emergency response office within China’s National Health Commission, called obesity and being overweight a “major public health issue” earlier this month.
Another Lilly drug may be in contention in China after Innovent reported in May that its GLP-1 and glucagon receptor dual agonist mazdutide was superior to the GLP-1 agonist Trulicity. Innovent licensed China rights to mazdutide back in 2019 and it’s currently under review by Chinese regulators as an option for weight management.
Innovent posted more pivotal trial data on Monday in patients with type 2 diabetes, finding that mazdutide was superior to placebo at reducing blood sugar levels, meeting the primary endpoint. Innovent now plans to ask regulators to greenlight the drug’s use as a type 2 diabetes treatment.