(Reuters) -Eli Lilly has halted a study of an experimental drug, designed to prevent obesity patients from losing too much muscle, due to strategic business reasons, according to a U.S. registry of clinical trials.
The company was testing the drug, bimagrumab, alone or in combination with Lilly’s tirzepatide, the active ingredient in its blockbuster obesity treatment, Zepbound.
Lilly was aiming to see how well and safely bimagrumab, tirzepatide and their combination worked in lowering body weight in participants who were obese or overweight and had type 2 diabetes.
The shelved mid-stage trial was tracking 180 adult overweight patients with type 2 diabetes for more than a year. While weight reduction was the primary measure, investigators were also monitoring fat versus muscle loss, which is a growing concern among patients.
About a dozen companies are racing to develop such therapies, most of which are being tested in combination with Lilly’s Zepbound or Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss drug Wegovy, both of which target the GLP-1 protein to help control appetite.
Lilly gained access to bimagrumab with its nearly $2 billion buyout of privately held Versanis. The experimental drug acts directly on fat cells without reducing appetite and without prompting lean mass loss.
In late June, Lilly said the drug helped preserve muscle mass, while helping patients on Wegovy to lose weight.
The trial was ended on June 10, less than a month after it was initiated, according to the update on Wednesday. A parallel study in obese patients without diabetes remains active.
The drugmaker did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Bloomberg News reported the development earlier in the day.
(Reporting by Mrinalika Roy and Sriparna Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar and Anil D’Silva)
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