A new daily pill may soon help people lose weight more easily and affordably than current treatments.
The pill, developed by U.S. drug company Eli Lilly, has shown promising results in a large international study. People who took the pill every day for nearly 18 months lost around 10% of their body weight.
This new pill is called orforglipron. It belongs to a group of drugs known as GLP-1 agonists. These drugs help reduce appetite and support weight loss.
Some well-known GLP-1 drugs, like Ozempic and Mounjaro, are already being used to treat both diabetes and obesity. However, they are only available as injections, can be very expensive, and require refrigeration.
The new study, published in The Lancet medical journal, included more than 1,500 adults from 10 different countries. All participants were living with both obesity and type 2 diabetes. They were asked to take orforglipron daily and follow general advice on healthy eating and exercise.
People who took the highest dose of orforglipron—36 milligrams—lost about 10% of their body weight after 72 weeks. That’s a major difference compared to the group taking a placebo pill, who only lost about 2%.
These results are similar to an earlier study in people who were obese but did not have diabetes. In that trial, participants lost around 12% of their body weight with orforglipron.
While the pill is not quite as effective as the injectable Mounjaro—which led to a 22% weight loss in similar time—its ease of use and lower cost make it a very attractive alternative.
The main side effects reported during the study were nausea, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea, especially at higher doses. These side effects are similar to those seen with other GLP-1 drugs.
Dr. Deborah Horn, the lead author of the study and a researcher at UTHealth Houston, described the results as exciting. She noted that the average weight loss for participants was about 23 pounds (10 kilograms).
She added that if the pill is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it could be available by 2026 and will likely cost much less than the current injectable treatments.
In the United States, injectable GLP-1 drugs can cost more than $1,000 a month. Some researchers and global health advocates have urged pharmaceutical companies to make cheaper, generic versions of these medications, especially for use in lower-income countries. Research has shown that such drugs could be produced for as little as $4 a month.
The global need for effective and affordable weight loss treatments is urgent. According to the World Health Organization, more than 3.7 million people died in 2021 from health conditions linked to being overweight or obese. That number is higher than the deaths caused by malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV combined.
GLP-1 drugs were originally created to treat diabetes. But now researchers are finding that these drugs may also help people with other conditions like heart disease, sleep problems, and even addictions.
If orforglipron continues to show strong results in future studies and becomes widely available, it could make a big difference in the lives of millions of people around the world.
If you care about weight loss, please read studies about orange that could help obesity, and a berry that can prevent cancer, diabetes and obesity.
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