Innovent Biologics Inc.’s obesity drug mazdutide continued to help people shed pounds for almost a year in a mid-stage study in China, yielding an average 18.6% of body weight lost after 48 weeks.

Mazdutide, being developed with Eli Lilly & Co., will be studied in a late-stage trial beginning before the end of the year, Innovent said in a statement Sunday. Participants initially lost 15% of their body weight — or 14.7 kilograms (32.4 pounds) on average — after 24 weeks’ treatment, results reported in May showed. Those who continued taking a weekly 9 milligram dose for a further 24 weeks eventually shed 19% of their body weight, or 17.8 kilograms on average.