Eli Lilly’s Obesity Pill Shows Promising Weight Loss in New Results
An experimental pill made by Eli Lilly led to average weight loss of more than 12 percent of body weight in individuals with obesity, according to initial trial results announced by the drugmaker on Thursday. The pill is meant to be taken daily and would be an alternative to the company’s popular anti-obesity drug Zepbound, a once-weekly injectable drug.
Called orforglipron, it’s part of a growing class of drugs known as GLP-1s, which include Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy. The drugs mimic a naturally occurring hormone in the body that helps regulate blood sugar and promotes a feeling of fullness. Injected GLP-1 drugs have shown weight loss of around 15 to 20 percent.
Eli Lilly’s 18-month trial included more than 3,000 adults with an average starting weight of 228 pounds and a body mass index of 37, which is considered obese. Participants were randomized to receive either 6, 12, or 36 milligrams of orforglipron or a placebo pill. The lowest dose of orforglipron resulted in less than 8 percent loss of body weight, or about 18 pounds, and the middle dose led to a 9 percent reduction, or 21 pounds.
The highest dose led to the most weight loss—12 percent on average, or about 27 pounds, compared to 2 pounds with the placebo. In the highest-dose group, about 60 percent of participants lost at least 10 percent of their body weight, while 40 percent lost 15 percent or more.
