August M
A daily tablet designed to help people maintain weight loss after stopping obesity injections has shown promising results in a new clinical trial.
Researchers say the drug could offer an alternative for patients worried about regaining weight once they come off popular GLP-1 treatments such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, reports the BBC.
Study findings
The pill, called orforglipron, was tested in a year-long study involving 376 participants in the United States who had previously lost weight using injectable obesity medications.
According to research published in Nature Medicine, patients who switched to the tablet after stopping injections managed to keep off far more weight than those given a placebo.
The trial, funded by manufacturer Eli Lilly, found participants taking orforglipron retained more than 70% of their earlier weight loss, compared with roughly 38% to 50% in the placebo group.
Researchers said the results address a major challenge linked to GLP-1 drugs, where patients often regain weight after ending treatment.
Alternative to injections
Orforglipron works by mimicking hormones that reduce appetite and help people feel full for longer, similar to injectable weight-loss medicines.
Experts say the tablet format could appeal to patients reluctant to use regular injections.
Dr Marie Spreckley, a weight management researcher at the University of Cambridge who was not involved in the study, told the BBC: “We still do not know how durable these effects will be over longer periods of time.”
She added: “This study reinforces the growing recognition that obesity is a chronic, relapsing disease that often requires ongoing treatment and support.”
Side effects reported during the trial included nausea, constipation and diarrhoea, though researchers described most symptoms as mild.
Wider impact
Dr Simon Cork of Anglia Ruskin University called the findings “a really important study” because it tackles the issue of weight rebound after stopping GLP-1 injections.
He also noted that improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels appeared to continue in patients taking the oral medication.
Health experts say maintaining those benefits long-term could help lower risks linked to obesity, including heart disease.
The drug is already available in the US and could eventually launch in the UK, although pricing details for Britain have not yet been announced.
Sources: BBC, Nature Medicine, Eli Lilly
