Eli Lilly's Weight Loss Pill: A New Contender in the GLP-1 Arena

Eli Lilly's experimental GLP-1 pill, orforglipron, demonstrated a 12% reduction in body weight across a 72-week trial, although results were not as robust as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy injectable. Revealed at a European medical meeting, the findings fell short of earlier expectations, impacting Lilly's stock performance.

The late-stage trial enrolled over 3,000 non-diabetic participants who were obese or overweight with a weight-related health problem. Orforglipron delivered meaningful improvements in cardiovascular risk factors, such as cholesterol and blood pressure, and decreased inflammation by 47.7% in its highest dose. Nevertheless, 10.3% of patients on high doses discontinued due to side effects.

Reported side effects were predominantly mild-to-moderate gastrointestinal issues. There were no significant concerns regarding liver safety, though seven patients exhibited elevated liver enzymes. The trial reported three deaths and five cases of mild pancreatitis, with no medullary thyroid cancer seen. Researchers noted an increase in pulse rate among orforglipron patients, aligning with trends in existing GLP-1 drugs.