In the trial, 59.6% of participants on the highest dose lost at least 10% of their body weight, while 39.6% achieved a loss of at least 15%.

Participants reported common gastrointestinal side effects, such as nausea, with over 20% discontinuing the trial due to these issues.

In addition to weight loss, participants also experienced improvements in cardiovascular risk factors, including reductions in cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

The company intends to seek regulatory approval for orforglipron by the end of 2025, anticipating significant demand upon its launch.

However, experts caution that these results are preliminary and non-peer reviewed, highlighting the need for further analysis to fully understand the drug's efficacy and safety.

Kenneth Custer from Lilly emphasized the goal of transforming obesity care with a convenient oral therapy that supports long-term disease management.

Despite these benefits, orforglipron's weight loss effectiveness of 12% is lower compared to injectable treatments like Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, which achieves around 15%.

Eli Lilly has unveiled promising results from a clinical trial of orforglipron, a new daily weight loss pill that could serve as a convenient alternative to injectable treatments for obesity.

Before it can be assessed for cost-effectiveness by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, orforglipron must receive approval from the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

The safety profile of orforglipron aligns with other GLP-1 medications, with gastrointestinal issues being the most frequently reported side effect.

Currently, around 1.5 million individuals in the UK use weight-loss medications, and the NHS is planning to expand access to obesity treatments as 29% of adults are classified as obese.

Initial mid-stage results had indicated a promising 15% weight loss in less than a year, leading to high expectations from doctors and investors.