A new daily pill may offer a more effective oral GLP-1 treatment for weight loss.
Researchers tested orforglipron as a non-injection alternative to Wegovy and Mounjaro.
Eli Lilly manufactures orforglipron and prescribes it for type 2 diabetes.
The drug targets the same GLP-1 receptors as oral semaglutide.
It lowers blood sugar, slows digestion, and suppresses appetite.
Patients can take it without fasting.
Regulators in the UK, US, and Europe have not yet approved the drug.
The US Food and Drug Administration currently reviews it.
Semaglutide remains the only oral GLP-1 diabetes treatment in the US.
Doctors sell it as Rybelsus for diabetes treatment.
An oral weight-loss version of Wegovy has also received approval.
Oral semaglutide produces less weight loss than injectable semaglutide or tirzepatide.
Injectable forms include Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro.
Experts expect tablets to transform treatment.
Patients can store and take them more easily.
Manufacturers may also reduce costs.
The phase 3 Achieve-3 trial compared orforglipron with oral semaglutide.
Patients with diabetes lost 6–8% of body weight with orforglipron.
Patients lost 4–5% with semaglutide.
Researchers studied more than 1,500 adults with type 2 diabetes.
They recruited participants from 131 research centres and hospitals.
The centres operated in Argentina, China, Japan, Mexico, and the US.
Participants received treatment for one year.
They took either 12mg or 36mg of orforglipron.
Others took 7mg or 14mg of oral semaglutide.
Orforglipron also reduced average blood sugar levels more strongly.
Both tested doses outperformed semaglutide.
More participants stopped orforglipron because of side effects.
About 9–10% discontinued treatment.
Only 4–5% stopped semaglutide.
Gastrointestinal problems caused most withdrawals.
Tam Fry from the National Obesity Forum welcomed the results.
He called the drug a potential first choice for severely obese diabetic patients.
He stressed the importance of strict prescribing control.
Dr Marie Spreckley highlighted tolerability concerns.
She warned that higher discontinuation could affect long-term adherence.
She noted the trial lasted only one year.
Long-term safety and cardiovascular outcomes remain unclear.
Professor Naveed Sattar described the findings as important.
He supported more effective oral treatments for weight loss in diabetes.
He promoted holistic strategies that target weight, blood sugar, and cardiovascular risk together.
He predicted incretin-based therapies could become first-line treatments within a decade.
These therapies may help many patients achieve long-term remission.
