Eli Lilly has announced encouraging results from late-stage trials of its experimental weight loss pill, orforglipron, targeting patients with Type 2 diabetes. This new, needle-free alternative is ready to disrupt the rapidly expanding obesity and diabetes treatment market. Overall, the results reveal that the maximum dose of orforglipron achieved an impressive average weight loss of 7.9%. That’s an average of about 16 pounds lost over 40 weeks.
Not surprisingly, the trial results are big news. Together they are the most watched study in the pharmaceutical industry this year. Eli Lilly hopes to file for regulatory approval of orforglipron for the treatment of obesity by the end of 2023. At the same time, an FDA application for its use in diabetes is expected in 2026. If approved, the pill would provide Eli Lilly with a major first mover advantage compared to its competitors. Competitors such as Novo Nordisk are racing to be the first to market in this lucrative space.
Orforglipron functions almost identically to well-known drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic. It’s closely aligned with Novo Nordisk’s oral diabetes drug, Rybelsus, in the way that it targets a gut hormone named GLP-1. These positive trial results confirmed orforglipron as a robust weight loss maintenance treatment. Maybe more importantly, it helps patients actually bring down their blood sugar. Patients experienced an average of 2.5 point decrease in their hemoglobin A1c, a master key measure of blood sugar. On average, their levels dropped between 1.3% and 1.6%, depending on dose, by week 40.
And so far, the results are very encouraging! Nearly 8% of patients on the highest dose discontinued treatment due to adverse effects. Despite these alarming warnings, Eli Lilly continues to maintain that the pill proves to be as safe as injectable treatments that are already available on the market. The oral nature of orforglipron is a benefit compared to Rybelsus, which needs patients to undergo dietary restrictions to maximize effectiveness.
David Ricks, Eli Lilly’s top executive, said he was bullish on the trial outcome.
“We are pleased to see that our latest incretin medicine meets our expectations for safety and tolerability, glucose control and weight loss, and we look forward to additional data readouts later this year.” – David Ricks, Eli Lilly’s CEO
Ricks emphasized the potential scalability of orforglipron, stating that it “could be readily manufactured and launched at scale for use by people around the world.”
Share Eli Lilly is not easily intimidated in the cutthroat pharmaceutical industry. Today, it is three years ahead of oral GLP-1 development competitors AstraZeneca, Roche, Structure Therapeutics, and Viking Therapeutics. Eli Lilly would capture an even bigger share of the growing market by releasing the first oral version of this class of drugs. This critical advancement might dramatically increase their representation locally and nationally.
Pending regulatory approval, iforglipron will provide a new treatment option that is more accessible for a broader range of patients. Moreover, it will address supply shortages associated with widely prescribed injectable drugs. As the demand for effective diabetes and weight loss treatments continues to rise globally, Eli Lilly’s advancements in this area could significantly impact patient outcomes and the overall healthcare landscape.