Eli Lilly is eyeing an off-ramp for patients to switch from weight loss injections to pills
Although the injectable forms of the popular GLP-1 drugs are more effective, the pills under development are both easier to take and will be cheaper.
By Catherine Arnst
Breakthrough in Weight Loss Treatment
Eli Lilly reported on Thursday that orforglipron, its experimental pill for obesity, helped a majority of patients in a clinical trial maintain their weight loss after switching from injectable forms of its Zepbound GLP-1 drug and Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy.
The trial showed that patients who switched to the daily pill from Wegovy after one year maintained their weight loss with an average gain of 0.9 kilograms, while those who switched from Zepbound saw an average gain of 5 kilograms.
Convenience and Cost-Effectiveness
The pill is easier to take and will be cheaper than the injectable forms, which are priced at $350 per month and up.
Lilly and Novo Nordisk agreed to price their pills at $150 per month, making it a more accessible option for patients.
Potential for Maintenance Therapy
The new trial indicates that orforglipron could be used as a maintenance therapy for patients who no longer want to take the injectable form of the drug.
Many patients regain weight once they stop a GLP-1 drug, now only available as a weekly injection.
Future Prospects
Lilly has already filed for FDA approval of the pill as an initial treatment for obesity, and the FDA awarded the pill a priority review voucher in November.
This could expedite its review timeline to a few months.
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