Eli Lilly plans diabetes drug trial for kids as young as 6 years - Bloomberg

[October 20, 2023]  (Reuters) - Eli Lilly is planning a clinical trial of its diabetes drug Mounjaro in patients six years and older who have obesity, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing a person familiar with the matter.

The company is already conducting a trial of the drug in children as young as 10 years with type 2 diabetes, according to a U.S. government registry.

Lilly's Danish rival Novo Nordisk has also been conducting a late-stage trial of its drug semaglutide, sold under the brand Ozempic, in children as young as 6 years, according to the registry.

Both drugs have seen a surge in demand this year for treatment of diabetes and obesity. Eli Lilly has generated more than $1.5 billion in sales of Mounjaro in the first half of 2023, in just a year after it got approval in the United States.

Eli Lilly did not immediately reply to Reuters' request for comment.

(Reporting by Leroy Leo in Bengaluru; Editing by Varun H K)

A box of Mounjaro, a tirzepatide injection drug used for treating type 2 diabetes and made by Lilly is seen at Rock Canyon Pharmacy in Provo, Utah, U.S. March 29, 2023. REUTERS/George Frey/File Photo

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