A new weight-loss pill is as effective as Ozempic, research shows

In recent years, patients looking to lose weight via medication have been forced to take more shots than a frat house on Tequila Tuesday. But those days may soon be over.

A new daily pill from Eli Lilly can induce patients to lose as much weight as a weekly injection of Ozempic, according to research presented last weekend at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association.

Weight-loss pill poppin’

A new late-stage study found the GLP-1 oral drug, called orforglipron, caused patients with Type 2 diabetes to lose an average of 16 pounds after nine months on the highest dose. Researchers note that those figures represent a low-end estimate for weight loss should the pill be offered to people with obesity.

It could be released soon. Eli Lilly said orforglipron could become available as a treatment for obesity as soon as next year, pending regulatory approval.

• The company hasn’t said how much the drug will cost. However, pills are typically cheaper to mass-produce compared to injections (aka existing weight-loss drugs).

Why it’s a big deal: An estimated 1 in 8 US adults have already taken a GLP-1 medication like Wegovy or Zepbound. But researchers believe a far greater number of people would use weight-loss drugs that don’t require weekly injections—and would also be more likely to maintain that usage over the long-term, which is necessary for the weight loss to stick.

Zoom out: Orforglipron is one of a dozen experimental obesity and diabetes medications shared this weekend that researchers hope will be more powerful and accessible than existing options like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, etc. These include medications that could trigger more weight loss than the typical 15%-20% of body weight, help patients shed pounds without losing as much muscle, and provide a cheaper alternative to current GLP-1 drugs.