Eli Lilly said Thursday patients largely maintained weight loss after switching from injectable GLP-1 obesity drugs to its experimental Lilly obesity pill, Orforglipron, data that could help the company attract users of rival Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy.
Eli Lilly released new trial data showing that people who transitioned from weekly injectable GLP-1 drugs to daily oral Orforglipron regained little weight over a year, positioning the pill as a potential maintenance therapy for lilly obesity pill.
The results come from a follow-on phase of Lilly’s head-to-head study comparing Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy with Lilly’s injectable Zepbound. Patients who completed the trial were re-randomized to receive either Orforglipron or a placebo.
After fifty-two weeks on Orforglipron, patients who previously received Wegovy gained an average of 0.9 kilograms. Their average weight dropped from 113.5 kilograms before Wegovy treatment to 95 kilograms at the end of the main trial, then rose slightly to 95.9 kilograms after a year on the oral drug.
Patients who had been treated with Zepbound regained more weight after switching. That group gained about five kilograms over fifty-two weeks on Orforglipron, rising from 90.9 kilograms at the end of the Zepbound trial to 95.9 kilograms.
All results are based on per-protocol-style analyses that included only patients who remained on their assigned treatment. Lilly has not yet released data that include patients who discontinued therapy.
Trial Shows Patients Hold Most Weight Loss After Switching to Oral Drug
Lilly said the findings suggest Orforglipron can help preserve weight loss achieved with injectable GLP-1 drugs, a key concern for patients who stop injections due to cost, access or convenience.
“The ability to maintain weight loss with a once-daily oral option is an important step forward,” the company said in a statement accompanying the data release.
The most common side effects reported with orforglipron were gastrointestinal issues, including nausea and diarrhea. Lilly said these events were generally mild to moderate in severity.
Discontinuation due to adverse events occurred in 4.8 percent of patients switching from Wegovy and 7.2 percent of those switching from Zepbound. In placebo groups, discontinuation rates were 7.6 percent and 6.3 percent, respectively.
Analysts See Chance for Lilly to Gain Ground on Novo Nordisk
Analysts say the maintenance data could give Lilly a competitive opening against Novo Nordisk, whose injectable Wegovy dominates the lilly obesity pill drug market.
In an October note to investors, BMO Capital Markets analysts described the maintenance readout as a “unique opportunity” for Lilly to win market share. They said the data could support switching patients from Wegovy to Orforglipron, potentially denting sales of Novo’s flagship drug.
Ken Custer, president of cardiometabolic health at Lilly, echoed that view during an October earnings call.
“We see very strong potential for Orforglipron as a first-line oral incretin,” Custer said. He added that maintenance use represents “an exciting boost” beyond Lilly’s initial expectations.
Custer said Lilly does not expect the oral drug to significantly cannibalize sales of Zepbound, despite the option for patients to switch.
FDA Filing, Safety Data and Supply Edge Shape Market Outlook
Lilly has already filed Orforglipron for Food and Drug Administration approval as an initial lilly obesity pill treatment, based on separate studies. The company holds a Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher, which could accelerate regulatory review.
Novo Nordisk is developing an oral version of Wegovy that is expected to reach the market before Orforglipron. However, analysts note Lilly may benefit from manufacturing advantages.
Orforglipron is a small-molecule drug, which could be easier to scale than Novo’s high-dose peptide-based oral formulation. Supply constraints have limited access to injectable GLP-1 drugs across the industry.
Lilly said it plans to share additional analyses, including broader patient populations, as regulatory review progresses.
