Once-a-Day Slimming Pill Could Help Reduce Body Weight by a Fifth, Trial Shows
A daily slimming tablet may assist individuals cut their weight by up to a fifth, according to a trial that could pave the way for millions additional people to lose weight.
How the Medication Works
This medication, called orforglipron, focuses on the same gut hormone pathways as slimming shots such as tirzepatide and semaglutide. In a trial of 3,127 adults, 20% of people who used the once-a-day pill for more than a year shed at least one-fifth of their body weight.
Slimming injections have been transformative, but pill versions represent a holy grail since they are easier to keep, distribute and administer, and may also be projected to be more affordable, offering fresh hope for millions attempting to lose weight.
The medication is a GLP-1 agonist, a class of drug that aids in lowering blood sugar readings, slows the digestion of food and can curb hunger.
Trial Results and Convenience
Slimming results seen in participants using the pill are less stark as that in patients taking tirzepatide, but experts believe the tablet will be easier to obtain and user-friendly compared with injections.
Orforglipron is not yet approved by the US Food and Drug Administration or health authorities in other countries. The manufacturer has said it expects significant demand once the new pill is launched.
In the study, the over three thousand patients were divided into cohorts receiving the medication pills of different strengths, whereas others took a placebo, for the trial period.
Each of the patients had obesity, meaning they had a body mass index reading of 30 or higher, but they were free from high blood sugar. Participants from several nations were involved in the study.
Key Outcomes
Scientists found that following 72 weeks users on the lowest dose lost an mean of 7.5% of their weight. Those taking the maximum amount lost an mean of 11.2% of their body weight.
Among patients using the strongest tablets, more than half had a reduction of at least 10% of weight, over a third had a loss of 15% or more, and almost one-fifth had a drop of 20% or higher.
The team reported additional health metrics additionally got better among participants using the drug, including improved BP, a smaller waist circumference and a reduction in LDL levels.
The most common side-effects were gastrointestinal, which were said to be manageable.
“Among participants diagnosed with excess weight, long-term use using the medication led to significantly greater decreases in weight than inactive treatment,” the authors noted.
Future Benefits
Health leaders have hailed weight loss treatments as game-changing. But injections involve additional work for medical systems, so oral options might benefit millions more people trying to lose weight.
Separate research shows weight loss injections could be effective on minors starting from age six who are obese or are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. But, digestive issues were reported more frequently in children taking the drugs.
They said that extended observation periods in upcoming studies and more real-world analysis were “essential to establish the long-term impacts.”
