By Josh Beckerman
Eli Lilly & Co.'s (LLY) Type 2 diabetes drug Trulicity has
been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the agency
said Thursday.
The drug is a subcutaneous injection that helps improve
blood-sugar levels.
The FDA is requiring certain post-marketing studies for
Trulicity, including a clinical trial to evaluate effectiveness and
safety in pediatric patients.
After the company met with analysts to discuss the drug in June,
J.P. Morgan estimated Trulicity would post about $1.4 billion in
2020 sales.
Trulicity, or dulaglutide, belongs to a class of drugs called
GLP-1 receptor agonists, which work by stimulating the body's
natural production of insulin and help regulate blood-sugar
levels.
Lilly said in February that the drug was comparable to Novo
Nordisk A/S's (NVO) once-daily Victoza in reducing a measure of
blood sugar in a patient study.
Write to Josh Beckerman at josh.beckerman@wsj.com
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