New Pill Could Help Maintain Weight Loss Post-Obesity Injections
A new daily pill has shown promise in helping individuals maintain weight loss after discontinuing weight-loss injections, according to recent research.
The medication, known as orforglipron, is currently available in the United States and may soon be introduced in the United Kingdom.
Clinical trials demonstrated that patients who took orforglipron daily for one year were able to avoid regaining a significant portion of the weight they had lost—a common challenge faced after stopping GLP-1 injection treatments.
The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, was funded by Eli Lilly, the pharmaceutical company that also produces the weight loss injection Mounjaro.
Experts note that further research is necessary to determine the duration of treatment required, which could potentially be lifelong.
Expert Perspectives on Oral Treatment
Dr Marie Spreckley, a weight management research expert at the University of Cambridge who was not involved in the study, commented on the appeal of the pill format.
"Swallowing a pill might be more attractive to patients than having to inject themselves,"
she said, while also cautioning about the unknown long-term durability of the effects.
"We still do not know how durable these effects will be over longer periods of time.
This study reinforces the growing recognition that obesity is a chronic, relapsing disease that often requires ongoing treatment and support."
Mechanism and Cost Comparison
Orforglipron operates similarly to obesity injections by mimicking a natural hormone that suppresses appetite and prolongs feelings of fullness.
In the US, where the pill is available, it costs approximately $149 per month for the lowest dose, which is significantly less expensive than some GLP-1 injections that can exceed $1,000 per month. However, recent agreements announced by US President Donald Trump aim to reduce the cost of popular weight-loss drugs.
The pricing for orforglipron in the UK remains unknown as it has not yet been released to the market.
Additionally, Novo Nordisk, a competing manufacturer, has developed an oral version of its injectable GLP-1 drug, Wegovy, which has received approval in the US and is awaiting a decision in the UK.
Study Design and Results
The study involved 376 participants in the US who had been using GLP-1 injections—either tirzepatide (Mounjaro) or semaglutide (Wegovy)—for over a year and had achieved successful weight loss.
Participants were instructed to discontinue the injections and were randomly assigned to receive either a daily pill containing orforglipron or a placebo (a dummy pill) for one year. Neither the participants nor the researchers knew which treatment each participant was receiving.
At the conclusion of the study, those taking orforglipron retained more than 70% of their previous weight loss, whereas the placebo group maintained approximately 38-50% of their weight loss.
Side effects associated with orforglipron were common but generally mild, including nausea, constipation, and diarrhea.
Implications for Long-Term Health
Dr Simon Cork from Anglia Ruskin University highlighted the significance of the study.
"It is a really important study that addresses a key limitation with injectable, GLP-1 based weight loss medications – that patients experience significant weight rebound after stopping them."
He further noted additional health benefits observed in patients taking the oral medication.
"What is also important to note is that the decrease in blood pressure, lipids and blood glucose were also maintained in those patients taking oral medications,"
This maintenance of improved health markers could contribute to reducing long-term risks associated with obesity, such as cardiovascular disease.
