Archive · 1 Sep 2026
Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro Approved to Reduce Cardiovascular Risks
Mounjaro is a medicine made by Eli Lilly for people with type 2 diabetes.
The FDA has approved it to help lower the risk of serious heart problems.
In a large study, people taking Mounjaro had fewer heart attacks, strokes, and heart-related deaths than people taking Trulicity.
The difference was an 8% lower rate for the Mounjaro group.
Trulicity is an older Lilly medicine that works in a different way.
Doctors cannot directly compare this result with the heart-risk results reported for Ozempic or Wegovy.
Lilly is testing other medicines for possible heart and kidney benefits.
The company also reported strong Mounjaro sales in the second quarter.
The FDA approved Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro to reduce major cardiovascular risks in people with type 2 diabetes.
In a head-to-head trial, Mounjaro produced an 8% lower rate of heart attack, stroke, or heart-related death than Trulicity.
Trulicity had previously reduced heart-event risk by 12% compared with a placebo in earlier studies.
Mounjaro’s results cannot be directly compared with the 20% heart-risk reduction authorised for Ozempic and Wegovy.
Lilly is also studying cardiovascular benefits for Zepbound, Foundayo, and retatrutide in additional trials.
- Who
- Eli Lilly, the maker of Mounjaro, and people with type 2 diabetes studied in the trial.
- What
- The FDA approved Mounjaro to reduce major cardiovascular risks.
- When
- The articles do not specify the approval date; they refer to second-quarter sales and studies conducted in 2025.
- Where
- The approval applies in the United States through the FDA; sales were reported across global markets.
- Why
- The approval was based on a trial in which Mounjaro lowered the rate of heart attack, stroke, or heart-related death compared with Trulicity.
Evidence Supporting the Approval
Limits and Cautions
Cardiovascular benefit
Evidence Supporting the Approval
Mounjaro outperformed Trulicity in a large head-to-head trial, with an 8% lower rate of major heart events.
Limits and Cautions
The reported benefit was measured against Trulicity, not a placebo, and the articles do not establish that Mounjaro produces the same result as Ozempic or Wegovy.
Comparisons with rival drugs
Evidence Supporting the Approval
The approval adds Mounjaro to diabetes treatments with evidence of cardiovascular benefits.
Limits and Cautions
Mounjaro’s findings cannot be directly compared with the 20% heart-risk reduction authorised for Ozempic and Wegovy because the studies and designs differ.
Broader use
Evidence Supporting the Approval
Lilly is investigating whether related medicines could provide cardiovascular and kidney benefits in additional patient groups.
Limits and Cautions
The studies of Zepbound, Foundayo, and retatrutide are ongoing, so those potential benefits are not yet established by the information provided.
- Drug
- Mounjaro, Eli Lilly’s diabetes medicine
- Approved use
- Reducing major cardiovascular risks in people with type 2 diabetes
- Comparator
- Trulicity, an older Eli Lilly diabetes drug
- Trial result
- Mounjaro users had an 8% lower rate of heart attack, stroke, or heart-related death than Trulicity users
- Trulicity evidence
- Earlier studies found a 12% reduction in heart-event risk versus placebo
- Mounjaro sales
- Sales rose 91% to $9.94 billion in the second quarter
- Related medicines
- Lilly is studying Zepbound, Foundayo, and retatrutide for cardiovascular outcomes