Introduction to Weight Loss Medication
Eli Lilly & Co.’s experimental weight loss pill has shown promising results in a clinical trial, helping patients shed pounds without serious side effects. The drug, called orforglipron, has the potential to be a blockbuster in the company’s competition with Novo Nordisk A/S.
The highest dose of orforglipron helped patients with Type 2 diabetes lose 7.6% of their body weight during the 40-week study, according to data presented at the American Diabetes Association conference in Chicago. The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found no signs of liver damage in patients on the drug, easing concerns that Lilly’s medicine might run into side effects that derailed earlier attempts to develop potent weight-loss pills.
Clinical Trial Results
The study details affirm the drug’s promise after Lilly shared a promising first look at the data in April. The company expects to launch the pill next year. The lack of serious side effects answers the most important outstanding question about Lilly’s pill, said Daniel Drucker, an endocrinologist and obesity researcher at the University of Toronto, who was not involved in the study. Overall, the trial was “not a home run, but very respectable,” Drucker said.
Market Competition and Potential
Shots from Lilly and rival Novo have revolutionized the way obesity is treated. But drugs like orforglipron that can be taken orally, rather than injected, are key to reaching more patients and dominating the market. Pfizer Inc. and AstraZeneca Plc are among a handful of companies now racing to develop their own pills, although the science has proven to be a challenge. Drugmakers are vying for a place in the market for novel weight loss medicines, projected to reach as much as $150 billion a year within a decade.
Insurance Coverage and Adoption
Access to the medicines has so far been limited by insurers’ reluctance to cover their price tags, which can top $1,000 a month. But analysts expect adoption to increase as the drugs’ long-term benefits come into view. On Friday, the American College of Cardiology updated its treatment guidelines to recommend that weight loss drugs be given earlier to people at risk for heart disease, a move that could widen insurance coverage.
Ongoing Research and Development
Lilly is testing orforglipron in diabetes, obesity, and related conditions like sleep apnea. Results from its main obesity trial won’t be revealed until later this year. Lilly’s April early look at orforglipron showed how the pill fared in diabetics. Patients in the study shed more weight than those in earlier trials of Novo’s bestselling Ozempic shot. Those in the Lilly trial hadn’t hit a weight plateau when the study ended, suggesting they may lose even more, the company said in a statement at the time.
Side Effects and Comparison to Other Medications
The most common side effect in Lilly’s study was diarrhea, affecting about 25% of patients on the highest dose. Patients also reported indigestion, vomiting, and nausea at rates comparable to injectable medicines. About 8% of patients on the highest dose left the study due to side effects. Novo already sells a pill for diabetes called Rybelsus. Until recently, supply issues had put development of a higher-dose version of the pill for obesity on hold. In early May, Novo said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had accepted its filing submission, with a decision expected later this year.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Eli Lilly & Co.’s experimental weight loss pill, orforglipron, has shown promising results in a clinical trial, with patients shedding pounds without serious side effects. The drug has the potential to be a blockbuster in the company’s competition with Novo Nordisk A/S. With the market for novel weight loss medicines projected to reach as much as $150 billion a year within a decade, orforglipron is an important development in the treatment of obesity.
FAQs
Q: What is orforglipron?
A: Orforglipron is an experimental weight loss pill developed by Eli Lilly & Co.
Q: What were the results of the clinical trial?
A: The highest dose of orforglipron helped patients with Type 2 diabetes lose 7.6% of their body weight during the 40-week study, with no signs of liver damage.
Q: What is the potential market for orforglipron?
A: The market for novel weight loss medicines is projected to reach as much as $150 billion a year within a decade.
Q: What are the common side effects of orforglipron?
A: The most common side effect is diarrhea, affecting about 25% of patients on the highest dose, as well as indigestion, vomiting, and nausea.
Q: When is orforglipron expected to be launched?
A: Lilly expects to launch the pill next year, after filing for FDA approval later this year.
