New weight-loss vaccine shows significant fat reduction, but experts urge caution

An experimental drug was shown to help increase weight loss by up to 20%, according to one study.

Eloralintide, a weekly injectable manufactured by Eli Lilly in Indianapolis, produced “significant, dose-dependent weight loss” in adults who were overweight or obese but did not have diabetes, according to a news release.

Overall, the drug was well tolerated by study participants.

The Phase 2 trial, funded by Eli Lilly, included 263 adults. After 48 weeks, they had lost between 9.5% and 20.1% of their body weight, compared to 0.4% of those taking the placebo.

Eloralintide treatment was also associated with improvements in waist circumference, blood pressure, lipid profiles, glycemic control, and markers of inflammation, all of which may increase cardiometabolic risk, according to the researchers.

WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS COULD ADD YEARS TO THE LIVES OF AMERICANS, RESEARCHERS PROJECT

“The weight loss we observed in the study has a clinical impact,” the study’s lead author, Liana K. Billings, MD, director of clinical and genetics research in diabetes and cardiometabolic diseases at Endeavor Health in Skokie, Illinois, said in the news release.

“With this degree of weight loss in just 48 weeks, we see people improve or resolve other conditions such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, and more weight-related conditions.”

“In addition, in the study we did not see a nadir or plateau in weight loss, so I would expect weight loss to continue if the study continued longer. Additionally, up to 90 percent of participants taking eloralintide improved in at least one BMI category,” he added.

The results were published in The Lancet and presented at ObesityWeek 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia, earlier this month.

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While popular GLP-1 medications, including Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound, work by mimicking the gut hormone GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1), eloralintide is a selective amylin receptor agonist that works by mimicking a pancreatic hormone called amylin.

Like GLP-1, it helps slow digestion, reduce appetite, and control blood sugar after meals. It has not yet been approved by the FDA for clinical use.

The most significant side effects seen with eloralintide were mild to moderate gastrointestinal symptoms and fatigue, the researchers noted. These effects were greater at higher doses.

“Obesity is a complex disease and no treatment works for everyone,” Billings said.

“To truly address each patient’s needs, we need therapies with different mechanisms of action so that each person can receive the treatment that offers the best balance of effectiveness and tolerability.”

COULD GLP-1 WEIGHT LOSS MEDICATIONS LIKE OZEMPIC BECOME THE ‘EVERYTHING DRUG’?

Based on the trial results, researchers plan to launch Phase 3 clinical studies for the treatment of obesity later this year, the president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health confirmed to News Digital. The drug is also being evaluated for use in combination with GLP-1 medications.

Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurosurgeon and longevity expert, shared some concerns about new anti-obesity agents being developed.

“Among all the agents out there, there is no way a person can’t lose weight when combined with progressive resistance training and attention to their daily macronutrient intake, even a little,” the doctor, who was not involved in the study, told News Digital.

“However, Big Pharma will continue to look for new targets to introduce a new drug that is likely to be similarly, but not more, effective than current agents. There are enough agents available to take weight loss to a state of malnutrition.”

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Osborn also noted that the lower cardiovascular risk associated with the drug was likely because the participants lost body fat, which reduces the risk of all age-related diseases.

“Some side effects are rare or slow to appear, so it is important to monitor the long-term safety of new drugs like eloralintide.”

“Bottom line: If an individual has an experienced, competent physician supervising their care (and encouraging the formation of healthy habits in addition to simply using the medication), they will lose weight,” he said.

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Sue Decotiis, MD, a weight loss specialist in New York City, also shared her opinion on eloralintide’s potential as an alternative treatment.

“It seems that the more the receptor systems are influenced, the more weight a patient can lose,” he told News Digital. “This is why tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound), which affects two receptors, induced greater weight loss than Ozempic and Wegovy.”

“In my practice, I witnessed significantly better results with tirzepatide when patients switched from Ozempic.”

Hitting more receptors may be the answer for those patients who don’t respond well or who “hit a wall” with simpler medications, according to Decotiis, who was also not involved in the study.

“For safety and long-term outcomes, peptide drugs show promise,” he said.

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Whitney Di Bona, in-house counsel and consumer safety advocate at Drugwatch, said that while the Phase 2 results are “promising,” it’s important to be cautious.

“These drugs have been used for years, but new concerns continue to arise about their safety,” the Florida-based expert told News Digital. Some of them include a potentially serious eye condition, delayed stomach emptying, intestinal obstruction, and serious digestive problems, which have led to many lawsuits.

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“Some side effects are rare or slow to appear, so it is important to monitor the safety of new drugs like eloralintide in the long term,” Di Bona said. “Even with careful studies, some risks may only become clear after many people use the drug.”