A new drug shows promising signs of reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Tirzepatide, better known by the brand names Zepbound and Mounjaro, reduced diabetes risk by 94% in adults who are overweight, obese or who have pre-diabetes, the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company said Tuesday.

A three year-study of patients who took the injectable medication once a week found patients who took a 15-milligram dose also lost an average of 22.9% of their body weight throughout the treatment period.

“Obesity is a chronic disease that puts nearly 900 million adults worldwide at an increased risk of other complications such as type 2 diabetes,” Lilly Senior Vice President of Product Development Jeff Emmick said in a statement.

Tirzepatide works by regulating appetites and caloric intake. It also stimulates the secretion of insulin. A type of GLP-1 Agonist, tirzepatide is one of a growing class of drugs that improve blood sugar control and help reduce weight.

Drugs including Trulicity, Ozempic and Rybelsus used to treat type 2 diabetes may also lead to weight loss.

For its study, Lilly evaluated 1,032 adults with prediabetes or who were obese or overweight for 176 weeks of treatment. 

During a 17-week follow-up period after treatment, patients who stopped using tirzepatide began to regain weight and had a slight increase in their progression to type 2 diabetes, the study found.