A daily weight loss pill that works like breakthrough fat jab Ozempic could be available in the UK as early as next year.
People taking the new wonder drug orforglipron lost an average of 16lbs in nine months in a groundbreaking final stage trial.
All participants were initially obese and had type-2 diabetes but some saw such significant falls in their blood sugar that their disease went into remission.
Manufacturer Lilly said the once-a-day pill – the first of its kind – could be launched ‘at scale’ worldwide and ‘without supply constraints’, if approved by regulators.
It works by targeting the same GLP-1 receptors as Blockbuster weight-loss jabs Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, which suppress appetite and make users fill fuller for longer.
Lilly has not yet decided how much the drug will cost but it is easier to produce and transport that injections so is likely to be a cheaper option.
The pill can be stored at room temperature and taken at any time of day, with or without food.
It is seen as a new tool in the nation’s fight against obesity and is likely to appeal to a wider audience who are uncomfortable with injecting themselves.
Orforglipron works by targeting the same GLP-1 receptors as Blockbuster weight-loss jabs Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro, which suppress appetite and make users fill fuller for longer
The 40-week study, involving 559 people, was aimed at measuring the success of the treatment in tackling diabetes but also examined the impact on weight loss.
Participants were given either a placebo or one of three possible doses of orforglipron, known medically as increti.
Those taking the highest dose lost an average of 16lbs (7.2kg), or 7.9 per cent of their body weight, over the study period.
Sixty-five per cent were able to bring their blood sugar levels below the recognised threshold for diabetes.
Significantly, weight loss had not started to plateau, meaning the final results are likely to be even more impressive.
Separate trials are examining the impact the drug could have on obesity alone, with results expected to be published later this year.
Previous studies found people injected with semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic, lost 14 per cent of their body weight over 72 weeks.
And those taking tirzepatide, known as Mounjaro or the ‘king kong’ of weight-loss jabs, lost 20 per cent of their body weight over the the same period.
Lilly said it would apply for approval to market the drug for weight management later this year and for type 2 diabetes next year.
It means it could be approved for NHS use next year.
David A Ricks, the chairman and chief executive of Lilly, said: ‘We are pleased to see that our latest medicine meets our expectations for safety and tolerability, glucose control and weight loss.
‘As a convenient once-daily pill, orforglipron may provide a new option and, if approved, could be readily manufactured and launched at scale for use by people around the world.’
Professor Rachel Batterham, senior vice-president for international medical affairs at Lilly, said: ‘Living with Type 2 diabetes can be challenging, especially when daily management involves complex treatment routines.
‘Orforglipron could potentially offer a promising new option for the more than 75 per cent of people with Type 2 diabetes who prefer pills over injections.’
Side effects on the tablet were similar to the weight-loss injections, with about one in four people experiencing diarrhoea and one in six suffering nausea.
Two in three adults in Britain are obese or overweight and more than 5million people have type-2 diabetes, which is linked to poor lifestyles.
Estimates suggest one in ten women already take weight loss jabs.
GLP-1 injections suffered global shortages after celebrity users sparked a surge in popularity and the NHS has warned people against buying them from unauthorised sources.
The stage III trial results will be presented at a meeting of the American Diabetes Association in June before publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
Professor Naveed Sattar, professor of Cardiometabolic Medicine at the University of Glasgow, said: ‘These are important results.
‘Having new oral agents that lower glucose but also meaningfully lower weight well beyond levels seen with most existing diabetes therapies is critical to future type 2 diabetes care.’
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