Smart Finance APP learned that Eli Lilly and Co (LLY.US) is exploring new uses for its weight loss drug Zepbound to reduce the incidence of diabetes in high-risk populations, even if they are not overweight. The company's CEO Dave Ricks revealed that the company plans to test Zepbound as a health maintenance therapy targeting individuals with a Body Mass Index (BMI) below the overweight level. Currently, Zepbound and another weight loss candidate drug orforglipron from the company mainly target patients with a BMI of 30 and above, as well as patients with a BMI of 27 and above with other weight-related health issues.

Ricks stated that the company aims to lower the BMI threshold to 25 or lower to investigate the drug as a potential means of preventing diabetes, stroke, or vascular dementia. This strategy is particularly meaningful for certain populations with a lower BMI but higher risk of diabetes, such as Pacific Islanders.

Nevertheless, Eli Lilly and Co still considers it inappropriate to use Zepbound for cosmetic weight loss.

It is understood that Zepbound, also known as tirzepatide, is a GLP-1 class drug, with novo-nordisk a/s's semaglutide as its main competitor in the market, sold under the brands Ozempic and Wegovy.

GLP-1 class drugs have drawn attention due to their potential in weight loss and blood sugar control. In addition, several companies are actively developing weight loss drugs, including amgen (AMGN.US), pfizer (PFE.US), astrazeneca (AZN.US), roche (RHHBY.US), boehringer ingelheim, viking therapeutics (VKTX.US), altimmune (Alt.US), Zealand Pharma, and GPCRs (GPCR.US), all seeking to develop new solutions for treating obesity and related diseases.