Key Summary
- Eli Lilly’s new tablet orforglipron may rival injections like Wegovy and Mounjaro for weight loss.
- In trials, patients lost 6–8% of body weight — more than with oral semaglutide.
- Unlike current semaglutide tablets (Rybelsus), it doesn’t need to be taken on an empty stomach.
Eli Lilly’s new weight-loss tablet, orforglipron, may be as effective as Wegovy and Mounjaro injections according to a clinical trial.
The drug is recommended for type 2 diabetes and targets the same GLP-1 receptors as oral semaglutide, manufactured by Novo Nordisk, and helps reduce blood sugar levels, slows digestion and controls appetite, The Guardian reports.
Orforglipron is being reviewed by the US Food and Drug Administration, and trials show that it is more effective than semaglutide tablets in managing weight.
During a trial comparing orforglipron with oral semaglutide, it was found that patients with diabetes lost on average 6-8 percent of their body weight with orforglipron, while those on semaglutide lost 4-5 percent.
Orforglipron was also more effective than semaglutide in lowering average blood sugar levels.
Unlike semaglutide, orforglipron tablets need not to be taken on an empty stomach.
Semaglutide tablets are available in the US under the name Rybelsus for treating diabetes, and the weight-loss pill version of Wegovy was recently approved.
However, they are not as effective for weight loss than semaglutide injections such as Ozempic and Wegovy, or tirzepatide injections such as Mounjaro.
