Eli Lilly says it will file for approval of next-generation obesity drug in 2027 as it clears two more trials

The Eli Lilly logo appears on the company’s office in San Diego, California, Nov. 21, 2025.Mike Blake | ReutersEli Lilly on Thursday said it will file for approval of its next-generation obesity drug in the first quarter of 2027, as the treatment succeeds in two more late-stage trials. The pharmaceutical giant previously said it would submit an application as early as this year for the weekly injection, retatrutide, which works differently and appears to be more effective than existing shots and pills. In a statement to CNBC, Lilly said it needs more time to gather and verify the manufacturing and quality-control data required by regulators before it can seek approval.In two separate phase three trials, retatrutide delivered significant weight loss and improvements in a key measure of blood sugar levels in adults with obesity and two major complications, Type 2 diabetes and established cardiovascular disease. Based on the data, the company believes it has the data necessary to file for approval globally for retatrutide as a potential treatment for obesity, knee osteoarthritis pain and obstructive sleep apnea, Kenneth Custer, president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health, said in a rele...