New daily weight loss pill with 12% loss of body weight to rival Mounjaro

Trials of a daily obesity pill have shown it can help patients lose around 12% of their body weight over 72 weeks.

New weight loss pill on the way...

The manufacturer, Eli Lilly, says the drug, which is not yet licensed, could be available next year.

The daily pill, called orforglipron, works by suppressing appetite and making you feel more full.

Preliminary results of a major trial show those on the highest dose lost an average of 12 kilos (nearly two stone) over 16 months but about one in 10 stopped taking the pills due to side effects, including nausea and vomiting.

In addition to weight loss, participants also benefited from reductions in cholesterol, blood fats and blood pressure.

Dr Kenneth Custer of Eli Lilly said the company was planning to submit the drug for licensing before the end of the year and preparing for a "global launch to address this urgent public health need".

So where might this weight loss pill fit in to the blockbuster multi-billion pound market dominated by injectable drugs like Mounjaro, Wegovy and Ozempic?

The pill is much less effective than injectables.

The 12% weight loss achieved by those taking orforglipron compares to 22% weight loss for patients on Mounjaro, given by weekly injection. Both drugs are made by Eli Lilly.

Despite being less effective, there is likely to be a significant market for weight loss pills, as a needle-free means of cutting obesity levels.

"This is potentially ideal for customers already using Rybelsus for off-license weight loss purposes, and could really help those who are afraid of needles or simply do not like injecting themselves" said our in-house Senior Clinical Advisor, Blair Robertson.

Obesity experts in the UK hope the oral drug will be far cheaper than current injectables which would make it available to many more patients.

The full results of the trial will be presented next month at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meeting and published in a peer-reviewed journal.

Rival manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, also has an oral version of its injectable drug Wegovy which it has already submitted for approval in the US.

In trials, patients on the highest dose of the Novo Nordisk daily pill lost around 15% of their bodyweight after 64 weeks. We will keep you updated when it becomes available in the UK.