The Food and Drug Administration approved Eli Lilly’s diabetes drug Mounjaro to reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke in high-risk adults with Type 2 diabetes.
The approval gives consumers another option when seeking a GLP-1 medication to lower heart-related health risk. In 2024, the FDA approved Novo Nordisk’s anti-obesity drug Wegovy to lower the risk of cardiovascular events in overweight or obese adults without diabetes.
Mounjaro targets GIP and GLP-1 hormone receptors. The drug is also prescribed for weight loss under the brand name Zepbound.
What the Approval Means
Eli Lilly said Mounjaro’s approval to reduce heart attack and stroke risk followed a large study comparing the drug with Lilly’s older diabetes drug Trulicity. The trial found that people taking Mounjaro had an 8% lower rate of cardiovascular death, heart attack or stroke, according to the company.
The approval expands the situations in which doctors may consider Mounjaro for high-risk adults with Type 2 diabetes. It does not mean the medication is appropriate for everyone, and patients should discuss benefits, risks and alternatives with their clinicians.
Coverage May Depend on the Prescription
Insurers are more likely to cover GLP-1 drugs when they are prescribed for Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea or to reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke. Coverage can still vary by plan, authorization rules and the specific indication.
Medicare has started coverage of GLP-1s for older adults under a bridge program, but some employers and insurers are balking at paying for weight-loss medications. Starbucks, for example, said it would no longer cover the cost of GLP-1 weight-loss medications for employees beginning in October.
A Mercer survey found about 6% of large employers expected to drop coverage of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs in 2026, while another 5% planned to drop coverage in 2027. Nearly half of large employers covered the drugs in 2025.
Other GLP-1 Drugs in Development
Lilly, Novo Nordisk and other drugmakers are studying GLP-1 medications for additional conditions and a new generation of weight-loss drugs. Lilly said people in a study of its experimental drug retatrutide lost 19% to 28% of their weight, with some results comparable to weight-loss surgery. Retatrutide is not an approved treatment.
Goldman Sachs projects global sales of weight-loss medications will reach about $105 billion by 2030, underscoring the financial stakes for drugmakers, insurers and patients.
This article is for general information and does not replace medical advice. Reporting by Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect.