Daily weight loss pill sees success in trials: Eli Lilly

(NewsNation) — A once-daily oral pill helped people with obesity lower their weight by an average of 12% after 72 weeks, according to manufacturer Eli Lilly.

The results were observed in the pharmaceutical company's Phase 3 trial of orforglipron, a GLP-1 drug like Ozempic, that requires no injections and has no food or water restrictions.

More than 3,120 adults reduced their weight by an average of 27.3 pounds, the study showed.

Participants who saw results included those who used the highest dose of the pill, didn't have diabetes and were obese or overweight with at least one weight-related medical problem,

Lilly also manufactures Zepbound for obesity, and Mounjaro and Trulicity for diabetes.

Oral weight loss pill a good 'off-ramp' for injection users: Doctor

Dr. Sue Decotiis, a weight-loss doctor in New York City, said an oral pill on the market will help serve more patients.

"Here is another drug that we have that we can use on people, right? Because there are shortages of everything, so it's nice that patients have another option," Decotiis said. "And of course, this is an oral drug, and some people shy away from injections."

While Decotiis said the pill is not as effective as an injection, it could serve as an “off-ramp” for patients to stop injections while maintaining weight loss — as long as it’s fat, not muscle, that’s been lost.

"Sometimes you lose more muscle and water than you want to. If you don't get your body fat down into the real sweet spot ... you're probably going to gain that weight back," Decotiis said.

Another potential caveat for the pill? It's not a peptide, like Ozempic, Zepbound and other drugs that promise similar results, said Decotiis, which leaves room for uncertainty.

Peptides — or chains of amino acids that humans run on — "work so well with the body," Decotiis explained.

"They're so safe, minimal side effects," she said. "So, I'm not so sure, with this drug not being a peptide, that it's going to have the long-term safety and efficacy data."

The pill's side effects include diarrhea, indigestion, constipation, nausea and vomiting, all of which are also known side effects of injectable GLP-1 drugs.

Eli Lilly said it plans to submit the pill to the Food and Drug Administration for approval as a weight loss medication this year and for approval as a diabetes drug in 2026. It will ultimately be up to the agency to decide what it can be used to treat.

NewsNation's Steph Whiteside contributed to this report.