May 28 (Reuters) - A study funded by Eli Lilly showed that type 2 diabetes patients who were recently diagnosed and did not respond well to standard initial treatment improved after the addition of the company's drug Terzepatide compared to the addition of other drugs in the same class.

Terzepatide is sold under the brand name Mongaro for the treatment of diabetes in the United States, and for the treatment of diabetes and obesity in other countries.

The trial required approximately 800 adults who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes within the previous four years and whose disease was not adequately controlled by metformin, diet, and exercise, in addition to either terzipatide or other drugs.

Most patients in the control group received other drugs from the GLP-1 class, which mimic the action of a hormone secreted by the intestines after eating to regulate blood sugar levels and control appetite, such as semaglutide, sold by Novo Nordisk under the name Ozempic, or Trulicity, produced by Eli Lilly.

After two years, patients who received weekly Mongaro injections showed greater improvement in blood sugar control, weight, and waist circumference, compared to patients in the control group.

A report on the study, published in the journal *Archives of Internal Medicine*, stated that blood sugar levels were normal after two years in about 60 percent of the participants who received Mongaro injections, compared with 24 percent of patients in the control group.

The researchers stated in a press release that the results suggest that initiating the use of Mongaro earlier if regular care is inadequate may have stronger and more sustainable benefits with regard to metabolism compared to usual therapeutic approaches.