A new oral weight loss medication, orforglipron, has shown promising results in clinical trials, potentially offering a more convenient alternative to injectable treatments like Ozempic.
A new oral weight loss medication, orforglipron, has demonstrated significant weight loss results in phase 3 clinical trials, positioning it as a potential alternative to injectable GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy.
The drug, developed by Eli Lilly, showed “meaningful weight loss” and improvements in cardiometabolic health, according to a press release. The findings were published in the New England Journal of Medicine following the phase 3 ATTAIN-1 trial, which assessed the safety and efficacy of orforglipron in adults with weight-related medical issues who do not have diabetes.
During the trial, participants underwent 72 weeks of treatment with three different doses of the medication: 6 mg, 12 mg, and 36 mg. Results indicated that orforglipron met the primary endpoint of superior body weight reduction compared to a placebo. Participants taking the highest dose lost an average of 27.3 pounds, with nearly 60% of them achieving a loss of at least 10% of their body weight. Additionally, 39.6% of participants lost at least 15% of their body weight.
Among the 1,127 participants who had pre-diabetes at the start of the study, up to 91% reached nearly normal blood sugar levels, compared to just 42% in the placebo group. The drug also demonstrated clinically meaningful improvements in cardiovascular risk factors associated with obesity, including reductions in non-HDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, and triglycerides.
Furthermore, the highest dose of orforglipron reduced levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation, by 47.7%. The study found that the safety profile of orforglipron was consistent with existing GLP-1 medications, with the most common side effects being gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, constipation, diarrhea, and vomiting, which were generally mild to moderate in severity.
Dr. Sean Wharton, director at Wharton Medical Clinic and lead study author, emphasized that obesity is a “complex, global health challenge” that requires effective treatment options that can be easily integrated into daily life. He noted that orforglipron demonstrated strong efficacy results and a safety profile similar to that of the GLP-1 class of medications, reinforcing its potential as a first-line treatment in primary care.
“Orforglipron could help reduce known markers of cardiovascular risk associated with obesity and support meaningful improvements in public health,” Wharton stated in the press release.
Eli Lilly has announced plans to seek approval for orforglipron as an obesity treatment, with expectations that it could receive the green light as early as 2026. The company also plans to apply for approval to use the drug for treating type 2 diabetes in the same year. According to Reuters, the medication could be “fast-tracked” under a one- to two-month review process initiated by the Food and Drug Administration, as noted by Wall Street analysts.
Analysts speculate that orforglipron is a viable candidate given the rising costs associated with injectable weight-loss drugs and Eli Lilly’s expansion of U.S. manufacturing, issues that have been prioritized by the Trump administration.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Dr. Sue Decotiis, a medical weight loss doctor in New York City, described orforglipron as a “positive addition to the armamentarium” that is cheaper to produce and more affordable for consumers. However, she pointed out that the weight loss results are “not as impressive” compared to those from injectables like Ozempic and Mounjaro.
Decotiis acknowledged that compliance with orforglipron may be better since it is an oral medication rather than an injectable. However, she expressed concerns regarding the drug’s formulation, noting that it is not a peptide, which typically has a high safety factor and is easier for the body to metabolize and adjust to.
“There could be unknown long-term consequences that we have yet to know about,” she cautioned. “I believe there will be more oral weight loss drugs in the pipeline and hope they will be in the peptide category.”
Fox News Digital reached out to Eli Lilly for further comment on the study and the drug’s future.
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