New pill may help maintain weight after stopping GLP-1 weight-loss injections

A new daily pill could help individuals maintain weight loss achieved after discontinuing GLP-1 weight-loss injections for obesity, according to new research. This was reported by the BBC.

The medication, named orforglipron, is already available in the US and could soon be launched on the British market.

Clinical trials show that patients who took the tablet daily for one year avoided regaining a large portion of the lost weight—a well-known problem after stopping GLP-1 weight-loss injections.

The study was published in the journal Nature Medicine and was funded by the manufacturer Eli Lilly, which also developed the injectable medication Mounjaro.

However, experts state that more research is needed to determine how long patients must take the therapy, as it is possible the treatment may even be lifelong.

“Taking a tablet will likely be more attractive to patients than the need to self-administer injections,” says Dr. Marie Spreckley, an obesity research specialist at the University of Cambridge, who was not involved in the study.

However, she warns that it is not yet clear how durable the effects will be in the longer term.

“This study reinforces the growing understanding that obesity is a chronic disease with a risk of relapse, often requiring ongoing treatment and support,” she adds.

Orforglipron works in a similar way to weight-loss injections by mimicking a natural hormone that suppresses appetite and creates a feeling of fullness for longer.

In the US, where the medication is already offered, its price is lower than that of current injectable therapies—approximately $149 per month for the lowest dose, compared to over $1,000 per month for some GLP-1 injections. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has announced agreements aimed at reducing the prices of popular weight-loss drugs.

It is not yet known how much orforglipron would cost in the UK, as the product has not yet been launched on the market there.

A similar oral version is also being developed by the competing company Novo Nordisk for its GLP-1 medication Wegovy. The tablet form has already been approved in the US, while a decision for the UK is still pending.

The study involved 376 people in the US who had previously used GLP-1 injections—tirzepatide (Mounjaro) or semaglutide (Wegovy)—for more than one year and had successfully lost weight.

After discontinuing the injections, participants received either an orforglipron tablet or a placebo daily for one year, without knowing which version they were taking.

At the end of the study, participants who took orforglipron maintained over 70% of their previous weight loss, while in the placebo group, weight loss maintenance was around 38-50%.

Side effects while taking the medication were common but mostly mild, including nausea, constipation, and diarrhea.

According to Dr. Simon Cork from Anglia Ruskin University, this is an “extremely important study” because it addresses one of the primary issues with injectable GLP-1 weight-loss medications—significant weight regain after stopping therapy.

“It is also important that the reductions in blood pressure, lipids, and blood sugar were also maintained in patients taking the oral medication,” he adds.

According to him, this could help reduce long-term health risks associated with obesity, including cardiovascular disease.