GLP-1 pill trial shows average 12% weight loss
13 Aug 2025
Results are less dramatic than injectable medications, but a manufacturer has signalled intent to apply for approval in the US.
New trial results for an experimental weight loss pill have found those on the highest dose lost an average of 12% of their body weight over a 72-week intervention.
The results for orforglipron, an oral glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, show less dramatic weight loss than injectable medications but are still ‘clinically meaningful’, according to the manufacturer Eli Lilly.
It says it plans to file an application for the drug’s approval with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States before the end of the year.
It is the latest step in a concerted push by the pharmaceutical industry to develop an oral treatment to rival the results of the GLP-1 injectable medications, which have surged in popularity.
While use of the GLP-1 medications has skyrocketed, evidence on their long-term impact is still being assessed. This month an editorial in the British Medical Journal urged for greater caution in their use.
The phase 3 ATTAIN-1 trial compared results for 3127 adult participants with obesity, or who were overweight with a weight-related medical problem, and who did not have diabetes.
According to Eli Lilly, the randomised, double-blind trial included groups of participants on three different doses – 6 mg, 12 mg, and 36 mg – as well as a placebo group.
It says that at 72 weeks participants on all three doses of the experimental drug showed ‘clinically meaningful weight loss’ when accompanied by a healthy diet and physical activity compared to the placebo group.
A 36 mg dose of the drug, taken once per day without food and water restrictions, reduced weight by an average of 12.4%, compared to 0.9% for participants in the placebo group.
However, a third of high-dose patients experienced nausea while 24% experienced vomiting, compared with 10.4% and 3.5% respectively for the placebo group.
The drop-out rate due to adverse events stood at 10.3% for the high-dose group, compared to 7.7% for the 12 mg group, 5.1% for the 6 mg group, and 2.6% for the placebo group.
Previous trial results for the medication have already been released for patients with diabetes, with the trial results set to be peer reviewed and published in a medical journal later this year.
A variety of manufacturers are developing oral versions of GLP-1 medications, which are likely to be easier and less expensive to make if they are approved than the injectable drugs currently available.
Novo Nordisk has already applied for approval to the FDA in the United States for its oral medication, Rybelsus, after trial findings found an average of 15% weight loss among participants on the highest dose.
Eli Lilly has stated it plans to do so this year for orforglipron as an obesity treatment, and in 2026 for treating patients with diabetes.