Everything to know about the new weight loss pill that works as well as Ozempic — and when you can get it
The jab averse can now rejoice!
Drug manufacturer Eli Lilly announced this week that an encouraging clinical trial of their new pill promises a convenient, stab-free way to treat diabetes and obesity.
The company’s shares jumped 15% in the wake of the trials which showed the pill, called orforglipron, helped patients with Type 2 diabetes lose weight at levels comparable to leading injectable medications like Ozempic.
“This represents a potentially major advance for patients seeking a needle-free option for weight and glucose management,” Lilly said in a statement.
The experimental pill belongs to the same class of drugs as Ozempic and Wegovy.
Known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, these medications mimic a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1, which regulates appetite, insulin secretion and blood sugar.
While initially developed to treat Type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 drugs have surged in popularity for their ability to drive substantial weight loss. Demand for these therapies has skyrocketed in recent years.
But these drugs must be taken as a weekly injection, which limits access, use, and appeal, making the development of oral alternatives a top priority for drugmakers.
If approved, orforglipron could reshape the landscape by offering a more convenient, cost-friendly pill-based approach with comparable effectiveness.
How long will customers have to wait for it to hit the market?
Representatives from Lilly said the company plans to seek FDA approval to market the drug for weight loss this year and diabetes in 2026.
The FDA’s review could take months, yet analysts speculate that if things go to plan, orforglipron could be made commercially available in the US by the second half of next year.
In an effort to combat supply shortages, Lilly has been ramping up its pill supply.
The company recently disclosed a nearly $550 million inventory “primarily related to orforglipron” and revealed plans, if approved, to domestically manufacture all of the US supply of orforglipron within five years.
How much will the new weight loss pills cost?
The company is unlikely to set a price of the drug prior to receiving approval.
Per the New York Times, analysts suspect that the sticker price (the starting price for negotiations for insurance coverage) would likely be under $1,000 a month, slightly lower than the prices of the company’s injectible treatments, Zepbound ($1,086) and Wegovy ($1,349).
What the clinical trials found
Lilly’s clinical trial followed more than 500 people with Type 2 diabetes who took orforglipron or a placebo for nearly 10 months.
Participants on the highest dose of the pill lost an average of 16 pounds, or nearly 8% of their body weight. This level of weight loss is consistent with the amount shed over the same period using Ozempic.
Orforglipron also lowered patients’ blood sugar levels by 1.3% on average.
What are the side effects?
In terms of side effects, Lilly reported that the most common complaints in the orforglipron clinical trial were diarrhea, indigestion, constipation, nausea and vomiting, aftereffects consistent with the use of injectable GLP-1 meds.
Lilly said orforglipron trial participants showed no signs of liver damage.
Other pills in development
Lilly, which makes the injectable drugs Zepbound to treat obesity and Mounjaro and Trulicity to treat diabetes, is among a slew of manufacturers racing to bring a needle-free remedy to market.
Several other companies are in the midst of creating their own GLP-1 pills. However, orforglipron is further ahead in development and theoretically, closer to FDA approval.
This week drugmaker Pfizer abandoned their development of a GLP-1 pill after a trial participant experienced a “potential drug-induced liver injury.”
Lily is continuing to conduct other large scale orforglipron studies, researching the effect of the drug on patients with diabetes, obesity and obesity related conditions like sleep apnea and heart disease. Results in patients with obestiy are expected later this year and with results from trials of patients with Type 2 diabetes expected in early 2026.
