We are one big step closer to a weight-loss pill that actually works.
What happened: An oral drug developed by Eli Lilly worked as well as Ozempic for weight loss in clinical trials. Patients taking the highest dose of the pill, called orforglipron, lost on average 7.9% of their body weight over the trial’s 40-week period, comparable to what users of popular injectable GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic typically lose.
- If greenlit by health regulators, orforglipron would be the first oral GLP-1 drug on the market approved for weight loss.
Why it matters: An effective weight-loss pill could reach a much larger market than the injectables currently available for two main reasons: it’s expected to be cheaper and it comes with less of an ‘ick’ factor than needles.
- In addition to helping people lose weight, GLP-1s are an effective treatment for diabetes, can reduce the risk of heart disease, and have shown promise in helping people overcome addictions.
Zoom out: Lilly now leads other pharma giants in the race to be the first to market with a weight-loss pill. Pfizer announced it had abandoned its pill earlier this week after patients in a clinical trial showed signs of liver injury.
What’s next: Lilly says it plans to submit the drug to health regulators for approval by the end of the year.—TS