What to know about game-changing new weight-loss pill that could be prescribed on the NHS
A daily pill that could help people lose a significant amount of weight – without injections – has shown promising early results in a major trial.
The drug, called orforglipron, works in a similar way to known weight-loss jabs like Wegovy and Mounjaro, targeting hormones that regulate appetite and digestion. But instead of a weekly injection, it's taken daily in tablet form.
In a study of more than 3,000 adults, those on the highest dose lost an average of 12.4% of their body weight over 72 weeks (almost 17 months) – that's nearly two stone for some.
The trial also reported improvements in cholesterol, blood pressure and heart health, according to the study.
Manufacturer Eli Lilly, the American pharmaceutical company which also created Mounjaro, says it plans to seek regulatory approval by the end of the year. Experts are cautiously optimistic, but stress the results are still preliminary and not yet peer reviewed.
Here's what we know about the weight-loss pill so far.
How does the weight-loss pill compare to injections?
In head-to-head comparisons, injectables still lead on weight loss.
Trials show Mounjaro users lose around 20% of their body weight, and Wegovy users about 13–14%. orforglipron's 12.4% average is slightly lower – but experts say its convenience could make it appealing.
Kenneth Custer, the president of Eli Lilly, said: "With orforglipron, we're working to transform obesity care by introducing a potential once-daily oral therapy that could support early intervention and long-term disease management, while offering a convenient alternative to injectable treatments."
In the trial, nearly 60% of people on the top dose lost at least 10% of their body weight, and almost 40% lost 15% or more.
What about side effects?
The safety profile looks similar to other GLP-1 or weight-loss drugs, like Wegovy and Mounjaro.
In the trial, the most common side effects – of which some participants reported more than one – were stomach-related:
Nausea: 33.7%
Constipation: 25.4%
Diarrhoea: 23.1%
Vomiting: 24.0%
Indigestion: 14.1%
Most side effects were mild to moderate, but they were enough to make some people stop treatment. Around one in 10 people on the top dose dropped out because of side effects, compared to about one in forty in the placebo group, those given a dummy pill with no active medicine.
"These are preliminary, non-peer-reviewed results and we will need to see the full trial methodology and data before a more comprehensive analysis can be undertaken," Dr Simon Cork, senior lecturer in physiology at Anglia Ruskin University told The Times.
"It should be noted that their effects on weight loss are not as profound as those seen in injectable GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as Wegovy, with a lower percentage weight loss and fewer people achieving 10 per cent weight loss at the highest dose.
"Nevertheless, that this medication is an oral form, rather than injectable, will likely be seen as more tolerable for many patients," he added.
Who could get the weight-loss pill on the NHS?
If approved, orforglipron would likely be prescribed under similar rules to existing weight-loss drugs. Currently, Wegovy is offered to people with a BMI of at least 35 plus a weight-related condition, or a BMI of 30–34.9 if referred to specialist services.
Mounjaro is approved for those with a BMI over 30, or 27–30 with health issues such as pre-diabetes or high blood pressure.
Any rollout would almost certainly involve combining the pill with the recommended reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity, just like the current injections.
How much will the weight-loss pills cost?
There's no official price tag yet for orforglipron.
Eli Lilly hasn't confirmed how much it will sell for if approved, but experts expect it to be cheaper to manufacture than injections like Wegovy or Mounjaro.
That could mean a lower cost for the NHS, and potentially make it more accessible for patients if offered privately.
Read more about weight loss:
Who can get new weight-loss jab Mounjaro on the NHS? (Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read)
Alison Hammond reveals why she is 'frightened' of weight loss medications (Yahoo Life UK, 3-min read)
Obesity rates may start falling this year due to weight loss jabs, seller says (Sky News, 4-min read)
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