Oral Weight Loss Pill Orforglipron Shows Promising โResults in Clinical Trials
A new study published in The lancet indicates that the oral medication orforglipron, โคa GLP-1 receptor agonist, demonstrates significant weight loss โpotential inโค overweight and obese individuals, approaching the effectiveness of current injectable weight loss drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro.
The โคstudy involved over 1,500 adults across ten countries, all โof โwhom were overweight or โobese andโฃ alsoโ had type 2 diabetes. Participants received both nutrition and exercise recommendations alongside daily doses of orforglipron. Those taking the highest tested dose of 36 milligrams experiencedโค an average weight loss ofโ ten percent over 72 weeks,compared to โjust two percentโ weight loss in theโข placebo group. โฃ
A previous study involving participants without diabetes showed an average weight loss of โฃtwelve percent with orforglipron.
Orforglipron functions by activating GLP-1 receptors, influencing hunger,โค gastric emptying, and insulin release. Unlike existing GLP-1 medications, which โare primarily administered via injection, orforglipron is designed to be taken as a pill without requiring fasting or specific intake guidelines, perhaps increasing convenience for patients.
Like other GLP-1 drugs, orforglipron โขwas associated with side effects including nausea, constipation,โ diarrhea, and vomiting, though these typically occurredโ at the beginning of treatment.
Study leader Deborah Horn described the pill as “extremelyโ engaging,” particularly for individuals hesitant to undergoโฃ injection therapy. Approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could also lead to a more affordable alternative toโฃ injectable options.
Eli Lilly, โthe manufacturer of Mounjaro, is currently leading โthe advancement of orforglipron, โขfollowing Pfizer’s recent discontinuation of it’s weight loss pill danuglipron due to concernsโฃ aboutโข potential liver damage.
If approved,โข orforglipron is not expected to โbe available in Germany until at least 2026.
