A new daily pill could help people lose up to a fifth of their body weight, according to results from a large clinical trial of orforglipron, developed by Eli Lilly.
Involving more than 3,100 adults with obesity but no diabetes, the 72-week study found that 18% of participants on the highest dose lost at least 20% of their body weight, while over half achieved a reduction of 10% or more. Average weight loss ranged from 7.5% with the lowest dose to 11.2% with the highest.
The pill, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, works by lowering blood sugar, slowing digestion, and reducing appetite. It produced improvements in blood pressure, waist size, and cholesterol levels, with mostly mild gastrointestinal side effects.
Experts say that while the weight loss is slightly less dramatic than with injectable drugs such as Mounjaro, the convenience and expected lower cost of a pill could make it accessible to far more people. Orforglipron is not yet approved by regulators, but demand is expected to be high once launched.
Researchers say the findings, published in the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, mark a major step toward expanding obesity treatments.
