A new daily pill could transform obesity treatment after a large trial found it helped people lose up to 20% of their body weight. The drug, orforglipron, developed by Eli Lilly, works by targeting GLP-1 receptors, the same mechanism as weight loss injections like Wegovy and Mounjaro.
In a study of 3,127 adults with obesity but no diabetes, participants taking orforglipron for 72 weeks saw significant weight reductions. On the highest dose, patients lost an average of 11.2% of their body weight, with nearly one in five achieving losses of 20% or more. Other health benefits included lower blood pressure, reduced waist size, and improved cholesterol.
Side-effects, mainly gastrointestinal, were reported as mild to moderate. Researchers highlighted the potential of a pill to reach far more patients, given its convenience and likely lower cost compared to injections.
Orforglipron is not yet approved by regulators, but experts say demand will be high once it becomes available. Eli Lilly has already published results in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented findings at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting.
Health leaders believe pill-based treatments could expand access to obesity care, easing pressure on health systems that currently manage injectable therapies.
