New daily pill may help keep weight off after stopping jabs
New daily pill may help keep weight off after stopping jabs
Orforglipron, a once-daily tablet, supports sustained weight loss after injections, potentially cheaper and easier to use than current options.
A new daily pill could help individuals maintain weight loss after completing injection treatments, a study suggests. Orforglipron is a GLP-1 agonist taken as a once-daily tablet, designed to lower blood sugar, slow digestion and reduce appetite. The drug, made by Eli Lilly, is significantly cheaper to manufacture than Wegovy and Mounjaro and is not yet licensed in the UK, though it was approved by the US FDA last month.
In a US trial involving 376 participants who had previously used tirzepatide or semaglutide for weight loss (sold as Mounjaro and Wegovy) over 72 weeks, participants were assigned to orforglipron or placebo for a year. Among former tirzepatide users, 74.7% maintained their weight loss after a year on orforglipron versus 49.2% on placebo. Among former semaglutide users, 79.3% maintained weight loss with orforglipron versus 37.6% on placebo.
The study suggests transitioning to orforglipron may be an effective way to sustain weight loss for people who do not want to continue injectable therapy. Dr Marie Spreckley of the University of Cambridge noted the findings reflect a realistic clinical scenario where many people prefer not to stay on injections.
While the prospect is promising, UK licensing remains unclear; if approved, the pill could offer a cheaper, easier option for maintaining weight loss and possibly reduce reliance on long-term medications for obesity-related conditions.
