MariTide May Share Surprising Similarities with Zepbound's Weight Loss Approach

Amgen's MariTide is an obesity drug that blocks the gut hormone GIP. In contrast, Eli Lilly's Zepbound activates GIP. Yet, both approaches have led to significant weight reductions in trials.

New cell data presented at a European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting suggest that MariTide and Zepbound may converge on the same endpoint through different mechanisms. The findings indicate that both drugs boost overall cellular activity and amplify GLP-1 signaling, which helps explain why they deliver strong weight loss despite moving GIP in opposite directions.

The data suggest that Zepbound's added GIP exposure led to a 40% drop in the number of cell-surface receptors for GIP. In contrast, MariTide directly blocks GIP activity. However, both approaches may ultimately quiet GIP activity while keeping GLP-1 effects humming.

Amgen's large, late-stage MariTide study is expected to report pivotal results in 2027, which will be a crucial moment for investors. Earlier findings raised questions about the drug's potency and side effects for the once-a-month formulation.