A new clinical trial has some exciting news for people with type 2 diabetes: a daily pill utilizing the molecule orforglipron helped participants lose almost as much weight as popular injectable drugs like Ozempic. And because it’s taken orally, it could make treatment much simpler and more accessible.
The study followed more than 1,600 adults across 10 countries for 72 weeks. All participants had type 2 diabetes and were either overweight or obese, as measured by their Body Mass Index. Researchers split them into four groups — a placebo group, and three groups taking different doses of orforglipron. Nobody, including the doctors, knew who was taking what (that’s what makes the study “double-blind”).
The results were solid. People on the highest dose lost an average of 9.6% of their body weight, which is almost identical to the 10–15% typically seen with injectable semaglutide. More than a quarter of participants on the top dose lost over 15% of their weight, which is a huge change for a pill delivered molecule.
Like other GLP-1 drugs, orforglipron works by copying how the body naturally reduces appetite and manages blood sugar after eating. But unlike current GLP-1 options, it isn’t a peptide, which means it doesn’t get destroyed by stomach acid and can be taken orally.
Health benefits of the experimental medication didn’t stop at weight loss. People taking the drug also saw improvements in blood sugar, inflammation, blood pressure, and heart-related markers. Side effects were the usual GLP-1 suspects: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, but nothing unexpected.
It’s not quite as powerful as weekly tirzepatide injections, which have shown weight loss closer to 15%. Still, the convenience of a pill, plus a lower expected price when it becomes available in 2026, could make it a game-changer.
As one of the lead researchers put it: an effective, affordable oral option could become the “metformin of obesity.”
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