Lilly Says 41% of Drinkers Taking Eloralintide Reported Drinking Less

Eli Lilly said on Saturday, November 14, that it is presenting new obesity treatment data at ObesityWeek 2026 in Washington, including an early signal that some people taking the experimental drug eloralintide reported drinking less alcohol after 48 weeks of treatment.

The alcohol finding came from Phase 2 participant exit interviews for eloralintide, a once-weekly investigational amylin receptor agonist. Lilly said 41% of participants who drank alcohol at the start of the study reported drinking less at 48 weeks. In the same interviews, 74% reported fewer food cravings, especially for sugary foods, and 52% reported less “food noise,” a term patients often use for intrusive thoughts about eating. The result was based on patient reports rather than a finding the company presented as proof that the drug directly changed alcohol use.

That detail could draw attention beyond the drug industry. If larger and independent studies eventually confirm that some obesity medicines reduce alcohol intake for some patients, the effect could matter for brewers, distillers, winemakers and other beverage companies because it could alter patterns of demand. For now, the Lilly result is preliminary and does not establish cause and effect.

The company’s main clinical updates centered on weight loss and obesity-related conditions. In a Sunday, November 15 oral session, Lilly said it will present Phase 2 results for EloraTZP, an investigational combination of eloralintide and tirzepatide, in adults with obesity or overweight and type 2 diabetes. According to Lilly, participants lost up to an average of 54.1 pounds, or 23.3%, after 48 weeks from an average starting weight of 232.4 pounds. The company said up to 60% of participants no longer met the body mass index threshold for obesity. Lilly also reported A1C reductions of up to an average of 2.9%, with up to 77% of participants reaching normal blood sugar levels.

Lilly is also presenting new Phase 3 data for retatrutide, an investigational once-weekly drug that targets GIP, GLP-1 and glucagon receptors. In adults with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea and obesity or overweight, Lilly said retatrutide reduced breathing disruptions during sleep by up to an average of 36.1 events per hour, or 60.6%, at 80 weeks in the TRIUMPH-1 trial. In TRIUMPH-2, which enrolled adults with the same sleep disorder plus type 2 diabetes, the company reported a reduction of up to an average of 28.4 events per hour, or 48.1%, at 80 weeks.

The same Sunday, November 15 session includes retatrutide data in knee osteoarthritis pain. Lilly said TRIUMPH-1 showed a reduction of up to an average of 4.3 points, or 73.1%, on the WOMAC pain scale at 80 weeks in adults with knee osteoarthritis pain and obesity or overweight. In TRIUMPH-4, the company reported a reduction of up to an average of 4.5 points, or 75.8%, at 68 weeks.

For Zepbound, Lilly said data from the SURMOUNT-ADOLESCENTS study showed the drug reduced body mass index by an average of 21.4% at 72 weeks in patients ages 12 to under 18 with obesity. The company said more than half of those participants no longer met BMI criteria for obesity and also reported improvements in weight-related quality of life, including physical comfort and body esteem.

Lilly is also using the conference to highlight post-approval evidence for Foundayo, its once-daily oral GLP-1 drug orforglipron. In a real-world survey called FOUNDERS, Lilly said 96% to 98% of participants agreed the pill was simple, convenient and easy to use, regardless of when or how they took it. The company said most participants took the medicine with food, beverages or other oral drugs, and about 40% took it in the evening, afternoon or at bedtime.

The presentations reflect how large drugmakers are trying to show that obesity treatments can affect more than body weight alone. Lilly said its conference program spans trial results, patient-reported outcomes and real-world evidence tied to sleep apnea, osteoarthritis pain, diabetes measures and daily treatment experience. Kenneth Custer, president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health, said in the company’s release that obesity care should be measured by overall health and day-to-day life, not only by the number on a scale.

Some of the products in the lineup are already on the market, while others remain experimental. Zepbound is approved in the United States for chronic weight management in adults with obesity, or some adults who are overweight with at least one weight-related condition, and it is also approved for adults with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea and obesity. Foundayo is approved for chronic weight management in adults with obesity, or some adults who are overweight with weight-related medical problems. Retatrutide, eloralintide and EloraTZP remain investigational and cannot be marketed for human use.

ObesityWeek 2026 began on Saturday, November 14, and runs through November 17 in Washington. Lilly’s release did not include full study data tables or peer-reviewed manuscripts, and several of the headline results are being disclosed as conference presentations rather than through a journal publication. That leaves outside researchers and investors waiting for more detail on trial design, side effects and how durable the reported benefits may be, particularly for the alcohol-use signal tied to eloralintide.