Promising data reveals a new weight loss pill from the creators of Mounjaro, showing potential in both shedding pounds and reducing high blood sugar levels.
In a recent advanced trial, participants using the experimental drug orforglipron experienced a nearly 10 percent reduction in body weight over a period of just under 18 months.
These participants, who were either overweight or obese and managing type 2 diabetes, also saw their HbA1c levels—an indicator of blood sugar—drop by almost two percent, bringing them out of the dangerously high range.
The pill, designed for daily use, falls under the GLP-1 agonists category, akin to medications like Mounjaro and Wegovy. These drugs work by curbing appetite and enhancing feelings of fullness.
This development signifies a significant move towards weight loss solutions that do not require injections.
While Lilly, the manufacturer, has yet to announce pricing details, the pill’s production and distribution are simpler and potentially more cost-effective compared to injectable treatments.
It can also be stored at room temperature and taken at any time of day, with or without food.
Earlier this summer, the pharmaceutical giant revealed it expects to launch the pill around the world ‘this time next year’.
Manufacturer Lilly said the once-a-day pill could be launched ‘at scale’ worldwide and ‘without supply constraints’ as early as next year
In the phase three 72-week trial, scientists tracked more than 1,400 patients from 10 different countries, who weighed 16 stone (101.4kg), had a BMI of 35.6 and blood sugar level of 8.05 per cent on average.
For people with diabetes, an ideal HbA1c level is 48mmol/mol (6.5 per cent) or below and for those at risk of developing the condition, below 42mmol/mol (6 per cent).
Some 329 patients were prescribed a 6mg dose of orforglipron, while 332 were given 12mg and 322, 36mg.
The remaining 630 were prescribed a placebo pill. All following a healthy eating and physical exercise plan.
Researchers found the highest dose of orforglipron helped patients lose 9.6 per cent of their weight on average at 72 weeks, compared to 2.5 per cent among those who took a placebo.
By comparison, the 12mg and 6mg orforglipron doses triggered an average weight reduction of 7 per cent and 5.1 per cent, respectively.
The 36mg pill also saw HbA1c drop by 1.7 per cent on average, compared to 0.5 per cent among those on the placebo.
Meanwhile, HbA1c fell by 1.5 per cent and 1.2 per cent for those on the 12 and 6mg doses respectively.
Average reduction in waist circumference was also significantly greater with orforglipron 36 mg compared with placebo, with users seeing a drop of 8.3cm compared to 2.8 cm.
The side effects of Lilly’s pill were mainly gastrointestinal, such as nausea and vomiting, as well as constipation or diarrhoea, which were ‘mild to moderate’.
Writing in the journal, The Lancet, the scientists said that there were ‘greater HbA1c reductions observed with orforglipron in this trial’ compared to other GLP-1 agonists.
But existing GLP-1 injections such as Mounjaro have shown greater weight loss than Lilly’s pill.
Previous studies have found that people injected with semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic, lost 14 per cent of their body weight on average over 72 weeks.
And those taking tirzepatide, known as Mounjaro, lost 20 per cent of their body weight over the the same period.
Experts, however, have repeatedly said that an oral option that offers a similar level of weight loss is ‘very good news’ for patients and offers hope for those who are uncomfortable with injecting themselves.
More than 30 new GLP-1 drugs are thought to currently be in development worldwide, including an oral pill made by the maker of Wegovy and Ozempic, Novo Nordisk.
But earlier this year, Lilly said it would apply for approval to market orforglipron for weight management later in 2025 and for type 2 diabetes next year.
It means it could be approved for NHS use next year.
Around 2.5million Britons are thought to be on weight loss injections such as Mounjaro and Wegovy.
Doctors have long insisted that weight loss jabs are ‘game changers’ when it comes to fighting back against Britain’s long-running problem of obesity, which costs the economy an estimated £100billion per year.
Weight-related illness costs the economy £74billion a year, with people who are overweight at increased risk of heart disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes.
Two in three Britons are classed as overweight or obese and NHS figures show people now weigh about a stone more than 30 years ago.
