New data from a phase 2b study being presented at the Annual Meeting of European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 2026 in Milan, Italy (Sept 28 – Oct 2) show that, for people living with obesity and type 2 diabetes, treatment with Eli Lilly's new investigational medication, EloraTZP, a combination of eloralintide and tirzepetide (TZP), resulted in weight loss of up to 23.3% for the maximum dose, and accompanying substantial improvements in blood sugar control.
The study evaluated the safety and efficacy of eloralintide in combination with TZP. Eloralintide is a selective amylin receptor agonist, and tirzepatide is a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist. The study examined 367 adults with obesity or overweight and type 2 diabetes – a population in which it has been difficult to achieve substantial and sustained weight loss.
Amylin, released from pancreatic beta cells, and the gut hormones GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) are both released naturally by the body after eating, each acting through its own distinct receptor to help regulate hunger and blood sugar.
At 48 weeks, all four dosing combinations of eloraTZP (administered as two separate pen injections) met the primary and secondary endpoints, delivering substantial weight loss and reduction in glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c – a measure of blood sugar control). From an average starting weight of 105.4 kgs, participants given the smallest dose of eloraTZP (Elora 3 mg + TZP 5 mg) lost a mean 13.2% of bodyweight (13.9 kg), and saw their HbA1c drop by a mean 2.2% from an average of 8.1%. At the highest dose of eloraTZP (Elora 9 mg + TZP 15 mg) the mean weight loss was 23.3% (24.6kg) and the average decrease in HbA1c was 2.9%.
The most common adverse events were gastrointestinal-related and generally mild or moderate, occurring primarily during dose escalation. These events were seen more frequently in the combination arms than with eloralintide or tirzepatide alone.
"Obesity and type 2 diabetes are interconnected, and we are seeing the potential benefit of targeting multiple hormonal pathways to address both," said Dr Liana K. Billings, Director of Clinical and Genetics Research in Diabetes and Cardiometabolic Disease at Endeavor Health, Evanston, Illinois, USA, and lead author. "Across the dose combinations studied with eloralintide and tirzepatide, participants had substantial weight loss alongside meaningful reductions in HbA1c. These are outcomes that matter to patients. We need to continue building on these findings so that, in the future, we can offer patients more treatment options that address both weight and blood sugar control and better reflect the complexity of living with type 2 diabetes and obesity."
Phase 2 Efficacy Estimand Results1
Primary Endpoint: Change in body weight from an avg. baseline of 232.4 lbs (105.4 kgs)i |
Secondary endpoint: Change in A1C from an avg. baseline of 8.1% |
||
Elora 3 mg + TZP 5 mg |
-13.2% |
-30.7 lbs |
-2.2% |
Elora 6 mg + TZP 5 mg |
-19.4% |
-45.1 lbs |
-2.7% |
Elora 6 mg + TZP 10 mg |
-19.9% |
-46.2 lbs |
-2.6% |
Elora 9 mg + TZP 15 mg |
-23.3% |
-54.1 lbs |
-2.9% |
TZP 15 mg |
-14.8% |
-34.4 lbs |
-2.4% |
Elora 3 mg |
-8.2% |
-19.1 lbs |
-1.1% |
Elora 6 mg |
-12.3% |
-28.6 lbs |
-1.4% |
Elora 9 mg |
-11.1% |
-25.8 lbs |
-1.3% |
Placebo |
-3.0% |
-7.0 lbs |
-0.3% |
iPrimary endpoint was percent change in body weight for EloraTZP vs. placebo. All other comparisons were secondary endpoints.
