But unlike those three treatments, Eli Lilly's pill is not a peptide medication. Novo Nordisk is also seeking approval of an oral version of Wegovy for obesity, which could come by year-end. Eli Lilly's pill works in a similar way to Wegovy, Ozempic and Novo Nordisk's diabetes pill Rybelsus, targeting a gut hormone called GLP-1 to suppress a person's appetite and regulate blood sugar. There were no food or water restrictions for taking the pill. Everyone in the trial, including those in the placebo group, was also prescribed a healthy diet and physical activity. They expect Novo Nordisk's oral semaglutide to have a 21% share — or around $4 billion — of that segment. State Medicaid coverage of GLP-1 drugs for obesity is spotty. Eli Lilly on Thursday said it would lower prices by $50 on its own direct-to-consumer platform, LillyDirect, which already offers Zepbound and other drugs at a discount to cash-paying patients. Starting doses of upcoming obesity pills from Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, pending approvals, will be $149 per month on TrumpRx, Medicare and Medicaid. But under the new deals, Medicare will start covering the drugs for obesity for the first time starting in mid-2026, which could allow more seniors to qualify for them and spur more private insurers to cover them. Both companies have introduced lower cost options for people paying in cash and purchasing the drugs directly through their websites. The company on Wednesday said it expects to apply for approval of orforglipron for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes in 2026. Orforglipron's weight loss was 8.2% when analyzing all patients regardless of discontinuations, while oral semaglutide's was 5.3%. Eli Lilly said its pill, orforglipron, was superior at the trial's main goal of lowering blood sugar levels at 52 weeks compared with Novo Nordisk's oral semaglutide. Eli Lilly CEO expects new weight loss pill to be approved next year Lilly touts that, in clinical trials, orforglipron was taken once a day at any time, without restrictions on food or water. A pill version of semaglutide approved for diabetes, called Rybelsus, hasn’t been used as widely as Ozempic in part for that reason, doctors say. One difference between the medicines is that the Wegovy pill must be taken on an empty stomach with a small amount of water, and patients are directed not to eat, drink or take other medicines for 30 minutes after taking it. The drug will likely become pricier via self-pay as doses increase, though Novo Nordisk hasn’t disclosed those prices yet. Eli Lilly, which also makes the weight loss drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound, said it plans to complete seven additional phase 3 clinical trials of retatrutide in 2026, compiling data that will be submitted to the U.S. The late-stage trial results that Lilly announced Tuesday showed that its GLP-1 pill, orforglipron, was safe and effective at helping people with overweight and obesity and type 2 diabetes. An experimental weight loss drug from Eli Lilly & Co. helped patients lose weight with few side effects, according to the summary of a small study that suggests the company has another foothold in the obesity market. What's more, Eli Lilly's ATTAIN-1 trial on its pill followed 3,000 patients with obesity or who were overweight, while Novo Nordisk's OASIS 4 study on its own oral drug evaluated a much smaller group of roughly 300. But Novo Nordisk's oral semaglutide appears to cause a greater level of weight loss than Eli Lilly's pill based on the available data, said BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan Seigerman. But some analysts say Eli Lilly's daily pill, if approved, could still be a viable competitor in the weight loss drug space — even if it will likely be second to enter the market. In a key late-stage trial, Eli Lilly's pill, orforglipron, caused less weight loss and had higher side effects than what analysts were expecting. Eli Lilly's stock is still recovering after the drugmaker released trial data earlier this month on its closely watched obesity pill that underwhelmed Wall Street. The trial results are among the pharmaceutical industry's most closely watched studies of the year, and follow positive data in April from a phase three trial examining the experimental pill in diabetes patients. A pill specifically for obesity would give patients more treatment options and potentially make these drugs more accessible. Eli Lilly’s experimental oral medication, orforglipron, has demonstrated weight-loss and blood sugar-lowering effects comparable to those of the blockbuster injectable drug Ozempic in a pivotal clinical trial involving individuals living with type 2 diabetes. They forecast daily oral pills will capture 24% share — or around $22 billion — of the 2030 global weight loss drug market, which they expect to be worth $95 billion. Results from a late-stage study of the drug orforglipron were presented at a European medical meeting and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. In a release Tuesday, Eli Lilly said the new Houston plant will focus on manufacturing orforglipron and the company's pipeline of other small molecule medicines across different disease areas, including cardiometabolic health, oncology, immunology and neuroscience. And it’s not known how the company plans to price and distribute the drug, should it win that approval. Nearly all of those who have taken the injectable GLP-1 drugs said the cost was difficult to afford, even if their insurance covered it. Close to a third of the adults surveyed said they are very aware of the class of drugs. Woman Loses 130 Pounds and Finally Buys 1 Item of Clothing for the First Time She's also co-author of a new book about obesity with Oprah Winfrey, called "Enough." Jastreboff is on the scientific advisory boards of several pharmaceutical companies that make weight-loss medications. New treatments that are more powerful, mimic more satiety hormones and can be taken in more ways than weekly injections are in the works. But unlike those three medications, Eli Lilly's pill is not a peptide medication. After Lilly sent Pivotal Peptides a cease and desist letter, the vendor changed its website to say it was under maintenance and altered its operations to sell via email, social media, and word of mouth, according to the drugmaker's lawsuit. The FDA to date has only approved tirzepatide as an injectable drug. In its most recent filings, Lilly said MangoRx was selling an oral version of tirzepatide branded as Trim, despite the lack of any study showing that formulation to be safe and effective. Medical spa Genesis sells and administers compounded versions of the drug, according to the lawsuits. Food and Drug Administration took the drug off its list of medicines in short supply earlier this month. GLP-1s have been highly popular with millions of people using them for weight loss and diabetes, but injections can have several disadvantages compared with pills. Lilly, which makes the injectable drugs Zepbound to treat obesity and Mounjaro and Trulicity to treat diabetes, is among several companies chasing an effective pill form of such GLP-1 receptor agonists. The company has several promising next-generation products in the late stages of development, including a pill called orforglipron and an experimental shot that’s thought to be even more effective for weight loss. In stark contrast, only 0.8% of patients receiving Taltz monotherapy reached this dual goal. This study is the first controlled pharmacologic trial to evaluate the combined use of an incretin therapy, Zepbound (tirzepatide), alongside a biologic, Taltz (ixekizumab). On January 8, Eli Lilly announced positive topline results from the pioneering TOGETHER-PsA Phase 3b trial. This data feed is not available at this time. With that comes an 8.38% increase in share price during pre-market trading. The future of the booming obesity drug market won't hinge on drugs that deliver greater weight loss alone. An earlier trial funded by the company showed people with Type 2 diabetes lost up to 14% of their body weight with the injection at 36 weeks, while those who took the daily pill lost 10%. In April, the pill succeeded in a shorter phase three trial on diabetes patients without obesity. But she cautions the prescription drugs need to be managed by a doctor no matter which form they come in. Eli Lilly says it's already started manufacturing and stockpiling the pills so there's an abundant supply once the drug gets FDA approval, NBC’s Stephanie Gosk reported. Still, a lot of people don't want to take an injectable medication, said Dr. Shauna Levy, an obesity medicine physician and medical director of Tulane's Bariatric and Weight Loss Center. The phase 3 trial followed 938 adults who were overweight and had Type 2 diabetes. The data come as companies try to capitalize on increased consumer demand for weight loss treatments. The FDA approved tirzepatide for Type 2 diabetes last year, but the drug is not cleared for weight loss. The next generation of weight-loss drugs will also mimic another natural gut hormone — amylin, which is released by the pancreas in response to food. When people stop treatment, "rapid weight regain" can happen, a 2026 review of studies found. Across the different groups, the company did not disclose how many patients lost at least 5% of their weight. "While this is a surmountable barrier for many, oral therapy aligns with traditional medication treatment and may have higher acceptability," he said, adding that pills are less likely to be in short supply. A Novo Nordisk spokesperson said the pill will be made mostly in the U.S., and the company is excited about the potential the pill "provides millions of Americans living with obesity." "I try to think about the real-world use of these drugs in a market like this. It's going to matter." Unlike Eli Lilly's pill, patients need to take Novo Nordisk's oral semaglutide in the morning on an empty stomach with no more than four ounces of plain water. Nearly every major pharmaceutical company has bet on obesity drugs, often through deals with smaller developers, including businesses based in China. But factors including insurance coverage, pricing, copycat drugs and the development of new pills will ultimately determine how far the treatments will reach. For health experts such as Grunvald, naming a winner in the oral weight loss drug space is less important. He added that physicians generally prefer once-daily pills — like orforglipron — over twice-daily drugs such as danuglipron. Among five medicines that Lilly plans to launch over the next two years, tirzepatide is also under regulatory review as a treatment for diabetes. A similar medication from Novo Nordisk yields an average weight loss of about 15%. "We said we'd make an oral that had safety, tolerability and efficacy that was similar to injectable GLP-1s. We did that. The science parts played out. Let's see how the market plays out." "When I look at the pills, orforglipron has no food effect, it's a small molecule, so the manufacturing should be easier," said BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan Seigerman. Those decisions legally barred compounding pharmacies from making and selling copycats of those drugs by deadlines that passed earlier this year, except in rare cases where it's medically necessary. As competition mounts, data on Novo Nordisk's experimental medicines also underwhelmed Wall Street and raised concerns about the growth of its drug portfolio beyond Wegovy and Ozempic. TD Cowen analyst Michael Nedelcovych said that's largely because Eli Lilly's injections are superior to Novo Nordisk's drugs in terms of safety and efficacy. Still, some patients continue to use cheaper, copycat versions of branded treatments – even though those alternatives are restricted in many cases. Behind them is a slate of drugmakers – from biotech upstarts to pharma giants – racing to win a slice of what some analysts expect could be a roughly $100 billion market by the end of the decade. Those who took tirzepatide lost an additional 21.1% of their weight on average, while patients in the placebo group gained back 3.3% of their weight on average.Eli Lilly recently announced that every eloralintide dose group in its phase 2 trial hit the study’s main weight-loss goals.There are multiple ways to save on FDA-approved weight loss medications, too.Unlike the large synthetic molecule semaglutide, orforglipron is a small molecule, though both act by mimicking GLP-1.Eli Lilly is now offering higher doses of Zepbound in single-dose vials through a “self-pay pharmacy” section on its direct-to-consumer website, LillyDirect, which began offering lower doses of the drug in vials in August.It said the highest dose of the drug reduced a key marker of inflammation by 47.7%.Those who took the study medication saw a decrease in blood sugar levels similar to that experienced by patients in other studies who took Ozempic or Mounjaro. For example, Stevens said a patient could cut a pill in half to mitigate side effects on a day when they have an important meeting to attend. In an interview at the conference, Doustdar said it could also include people who travel frequently and can't easily refrigerate injections. That may include people who are afraid of needles, as well as people who could benefit from existing injections but don't view their condition as severe enough to warrant a weekly shot. That weight loss was 13.6% when the company analyzed all patients regardless of whether they stopped the drug. Meanwhile, the 25-milligram dose of Novo Nordisk's oral semaglutide helped patients lose up to 16.6% of their weight on average at 64 weeks, according to results from the trial presented at a medical conference in 2024. In the trial, the highest dose of Eli Lilly's pill helped patients lose 12.4% of their body weight on average at 72 weeks. He said some people already take several pills for other conditions each day, so they may prefer to take an injection once a week "and forget about it rather than adding another pill." Still, some patients who don't mind taking injections may continue their current treatment regimen, UCSD's Grunvald noted. Th pill could also tap into new markets in countries that don't have the resources for the cold supply chains needed to store and administer GLP-1 injections, Guggenheim's Fernandez said. Orforglipron does not have dietary restrictions, and will also offer an option for patients who could benefit from treatment but are afraid of needles. While injections will likely remain a popular option, a once-daily pill like Eli Lilly's could be much easier for some patients to take and store. The pill's weight loss was 11.2% when analyzing all patients regardless of discontinuations. The pill's efficacy also appeared to come in slightly below that of Novo Nordisk's oral semaglutide for obesity, which showed strong data in a separate study. Taking a pill rather than having to self-inject a drug can be a game changer for some people, said Dr. Melanie Jay, an NYU Langone obesity researcher. What obesity drugmakers see next in the market: More pills, easier access and drug combinations Orforglipron, an oral small-molecule GLP-1 receptor agonist for obesity treatment. Wharton hopes both oral drugs will be available to consumers by 2026, though that depends how quickly they move through the FDA’s approval process. Those drugs have different molecular structures than orforglipron, Wharton says, which could explain why orforglipron didn’t cause the same trouble. In one of the new clinical trials, Wharton and other researchers tested a higher-dose version of the drug, 25 milligrams rather than 14 milligrams, which is the highest dose Rybelsus comes in. But this medication was intended for type 2 diabetes, not weight loss. That would be a notable edge, as many health plans in the U.S. still don't cover obesity treatments. Orforglipron will also be easier to manufacture at scale, which is crucial as demand for obesity and diabetes injections outpaces supply. Both drugs work by mimicking a gut hormone called GLP-1 to suppress appetite and regulate blood sugar. From pills to new uses, here's what Eli Lilly’s top scientist sees as the future of weight loss drugs It's difficult to directly compare the results of separate clinical trials on the two drugs to compare their efficacy. Currently, drugs like Wegovy and Eli Lilly's obesity injection Zepbound carry list prices of roughly $1,000 per month before insurance. Meanwhile, Eli Lilly has not yet filed for approval of its oral GLP-1, orforglipron, but the company is preparing to do so by the end of the year. That sets up the drug, which will be marketed as Wegovy in a pill, to launch early next year. Participants who received orforglipron started the study at a dose of 1 milligram daily and then increased the dose every four weeks to their final maintenance dose. In the highest-dose group, about 60 percent of participants lost at least 10 percent of their body weight, while 40 percent lost 15 percent or more. Participants were randomized to receive either 6, 12, or 36 milligrams of orforglipron or a placebo pill. Eli Lilly’s 18-month trial included more than 3,000 adults with an average starting weight of 228 pounds and a body mass index of 37, which is considered obese. The drugs mimic a naturally occurring hormone in the body that helps regulate blood sugar and promotes a feeling of fullness. Johns Hopkins' Zilbermint said it's difficult for him to decide which one has a better safety and tolerability profile based on the available data. Leerink's Risinger said he is watching to see how persistent those gastrointestinal issues are once Eli Lilly presents the full data. "When it comes to which company is going to win the game — cost is the biggest issue." "Whereas Lilly plans to blanket the world with orforglipron, and very quickly it will generate dramatically more sales," he continued. That means Eli Lilly's pill is absorbed more easily in the body and doesn't require dietary restrictions like Novo Nordisk's does. In a May report, McKinsey said it expects a range of 25 to 50 million U.S. patients to use GLP-1s by 2030. There is still a "long tail" to reaching the 110 million that are reportedly suffering from the condition, along with those who are overweight, he added. While access remains a challenge for many patients, the ability to get GLP-1s has improved notably over the past year. "But I think by presenting people with options, they'll pick for themselves with their doctors, and I think we want to have something for everyone," he continued. Eli Lilly plans to submit the daily orforglipron pill for global regulatory approval by the end of 2025, joining competitor Novo Nordisk, which is also seeking approval for an oral version of its Wegovy semaglutide medication. Medications in pill forms are also cheaper to manufacture, which in theory, would make these drugs cheaper for consumers. The oral pills can also be a future option for people who wish to transition away from injectables. It’s too early to know how much the pill will cost or how insurance companies might cover it, a Lilly spokesperson said. “One would hope,” he says, “that some of that reduced expense would be passed on to consumers.” Today, injectable GLP-1 medications can run about $500 per month for patients paying out-of-pocket. Unlike the large synthetic molecule semaglutide, orforglipron is a small molecule, though both act by mimicking GLP-1. “I think there’s a huge market for these types of medicines.” Despite huge demand for the diabetes treatment-turned-weight-loss wonder drug, getting a prescription for Ozempic was once harder than scoring Eras Tour tickets. Introducing Hot Shots, a series that examines how Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs have transformed the way we think about our bodies, weight loss, and wellness. On Monday, Pfizer discontinued development of its experimental weight-loss pill danuglipron after a trial patient experienced potential drug-induced liver injury that resolved after the medication was stopped. The late-stage trial found that 13 percent to 18 percent of patients given the drug experienced nausea across doses, compared with 2 percent on placebo. Lilly said it would report data from another trial for the pill for weight management later in the year. Results are similar to those for Ozempic, Mounjaro without need for an injection, company says The weight loss achieved using the pill was 11.2% when analyzing all patients regardless of discontinuations. The Danish drugmaker's oral semaglutide, the active ingredient in its obesity injection Wegovy and diabetes shot Ozempic, is slated to win approval by the end of the year. Drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have said their daily pills could help the drugs reach new patients. Finally, and the most likely company to get the first oral GLP-1 drug to market, Novo Nordisk has had a big win this week, with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepting its application for review. Semaglutide also is used to help control type 2 diabetes. Phentermine has the potential to be misused because it acts like a stimulant drug called an amphetamine. But researchers haven't found that the drug causes liver injuries. In rare cases, people have had serious liver injury with orlistat. But an oral GLP-1 could be the best fit for those who "prioritize simplicity or convenience or have these logistical challenges with injections," he said. Some physicians are currently hesitant to prescribe injections because they "may not know how to tell patients how to use them," Sheer added. The University of Florida's Sheer said she doesn't believe the discontinuation rates or side effects will be a deciding factor for physicians when prescribing the pill. "Continuation rates in this category, in all chronic drug categories, are not perfect. But the dropout from the drug is what we pay attention to, and here again, we're right on with the profile." They were randomly assigned to take either a placebo or a 12-milligram, 24-milligram, 36-milligram, or 45-milligram dose of the drug for nine months. The nearly 300 participants were adults aged 18 to 75 who were obese or overweight and had at least one weight-related condition, excluding Type 2 diabetes, and weighed an average 240 pounds. And whereas Zepbound is a dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist medication, orforglipron is classified as a nonpeptide GLP-1 receptor agonist drug. We all know the production systems for injectables have really been stretched—and we continue to build sites and so forth—but with oral technology we can make more and get this medicine to more people around the world.” Eli Lilly, the Fortune 500 pharma firm that manufactures weight-loss injection Zepbound (tirzepatide), has a comparable oral medication in the works that could be approved by the Food and Drug Administration as early as next year, according to CEO Dave Ricks. The pill "could be readily manufactured and launched at scale for use by people around the world," Ricks said in the release. Incretin drugs mimic certain gut hormones to suppress a person's appetite and regulate blood sugar. Some analysts were expecting a reduction of as much as 1.8% to 2.1%, which is in line with results in diabetes patients who took Novo Nordisk's diabetes injection Ozempic. The side effects of the pill were similar to injectable GLP-1 drugs, including gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, constipation, diarrhea and vomiting, the company noted. Bariatric surgery still achieves superior weight loss compared to GLP-1 drugs, a recent study found. In adults with diabetes, Zepbound leads to an almost 15% weight loss, not quite what the pill achieved. There could be big demand for a needle-free GLP-1 medication — even if it may lead to less weight loss than the injectables — so drug companies are racing to develop a pill, CNBC reported. She expects retatrutide to become available on the market in 2027, but some online companies have been selling what they claim is the medication, prompting warning letters from the FDA. But both experts say not everyone needs to lose that much weight. Known as a triple-agonist, this medication from Eli Lilly is not yet approved by the FDA but has produced powerful results in clinical trials. This amylin drug from Eli Lilly is injected once a week. She’s done consulting work for Novo Nordisk, the pharmaceutical company that makes Ozempic and Wegovy. None of the three drugmakers has provided estimates for how much the new obesity pills would cost. That pill, marketed as Rybelsus, is approved only for Type 2 diabetes. That means the oral drugs could potentially help alleviate the supply shortages plaguing their injectable counterparts. However, reductions in HbA1c across all tested doses ranged between 1.3% and 1.6%, reinforcing the drug’s effectiveness in managing blood glucose levels. Diarrhoea occurred in 19% to 26% of individuals on orforglipron, and vomiting affected between 5% and 14%, depending on the dose. Regarding side effects, the trial found that 13% to 18% of participants experienced nausea at varying doses, compared to 2% of those given a placebo. Regulatory submissions for approval to treat obesity are expected before the year’s end, with an application for diabetes to follow in 2026. This molecular structure allows for simpler and more scalable manufacturing, which could enable broader access to effective weight-loss treatment. Drugmakers have been racing to develop new and needle-free alternatives, with a plethora of pill versions being tested in clinical trials. How the next generation of GLP-1 drugs could change lives. The drugmaker’s shares dropped after releasing weaker-than-expected trial results for next generation drug CagriSema, which failed to outperform Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro. The company recorded $550 million related to the drug’s inventory in its financial statements in February. Eli Lilly last month filed for Food and Drug Administration approval of the injection for chronic weight management.On average, study participants lost an average of 22.9 pounds (10.5% of their weight) on the highest dose of the medication (36 milligrams) after they used orforglipron once a day for 72 weeks.Zepbound has shown average weight loss of more than 20% in late-stage studies.Jonsson said Eli Lilly is “not price competing with the compounders,” adding that the company does not believe “there is still a market for the mass compounding anymore.”Skovronsky said, "we're working hard to create those medicines" in an oral form, but aren't ready to disclose any details.But Risinger said he believes Eli Lilly's pill will ultimately generate higher sales because patients could consider it more convenient.Merck (MRK 0.92%) is focused on cardiometabolic therapies, cancer, and infection treatments. He added that Novo Nordisk is "already on its back foot" in the market, so it can't afford to lose more share. The company for now "is definitely much more vulnerable" to competition from copycats than Eli Lilly is, largely because most of them contain or claim to be semaglutide, said Cowen's Nedelcovych. Eli Lilly eclipsed its Danish rival for the first time in May, when it secured 53% of the market during the first quarter. Some insurers, including Medicare, don't cover GLP-1s for obesity, which can cost roughly $1,000 per month before rebates. From fresh competition to new uses, the market is quickly vaulting into a new stage of growth. The world’s biggest luxury conglomerate reports fourth-quarter earnings on Tuesday, and CEO Bernard Arnault will give his annual, often market-moving press conference. Lilly said it was confident in its ability to launch orforglipron worldwide without supply constraints, if approved. Levels of HbA1c, a measure of blood sugar over time, fell by an average of 1.3 percent to 1.6 percent across doses. Lilly said no liver-related safety signal was observed in its trial. Orforglipron is not yet approved by the FDA, but adults with obesity and Type 2 diabetes who took the highest dose of the pill for 72 weeks in a late-stage trial lost an average of 23 pounds, or 10.5% of their body weight, Eli Lilly announced. Earlier in August, the company said people who had obesity without diabetes lost 12% of their body weight with the pill. A GLP-1 drug in pill form — no needles required — helped people with obesity and Type 2 diabetes lose 10% of their body weight and lower their blood sugar levels, pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly announced on Tuesday, August 26. The oral drug met the trial's main goal of demonstrating superior weight loss maintenance compared with a placebo, among people who previously experienced a plateau in their progress while taking the injections. Tuesday's results are the third set of late-stage data the company has released on orforglipron this year. But she called it "concerning" that more patients – 10.6% of those on the highest dose – stopped taking the pill due to side effects compared with what has been seen in separate studies on the existing injections, Eli Lilly's Zepbound and Novo Nordisk's Wegovy. Skovronsky said he hopes that diabetes patients will be able to use the pill earlier in their disease to slow down its progression. "Yes, weight loss fell a bit short, but ask 100 prescribers whether this new data will really make a difference in who they'd put on orforglipron, and our belief is the vast majority would say, 'not really,'" they wrote, referring to Eli Lilly's trial data.While Lilly looks likely to bring the first oral GLP-1 pill to market, other firms are working on their own versions.In the trial, efsitora was titrated to four fixed doses at four-week intervals, as needed for blood glucose control.Eli Lilly said it now has the full clinical trial data package required to file for approvals of the drug for chronic weight management with global regulators.Novo Nordisk's weight loss drug Wegovy mimics only GLP-1.Some patients may also not need to take the highest dose of either pill, he added.A phase three study from Eli Lilly, which is studying orforglipron's ability to maintain weight loss, will bring more clarity on that issue.Despite the excitement around this pill, some providers are still proceeding with caution.Because people feel full longer, they eat less and lose weight. The findings "could represent an important step forward for helping the patient and physician partnership treat this complex disease," the physician and obesity expert added. Shares of Lilly surged in pre-market trading Thursday. The thought is that the easier-to-take medicines could give companies an edge in the competitive marketplace and expand their patient bases. Skovronsky said it's harder to predict the market dynamics than the science. Both Novo and Lilly have slashed cash prices for their injections and struck deals with President Donald Trump in November that will, for the first time, introduce Medicare coverage for obesity drugs later this year. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are widely credited with establishing the market through their weekly GLP-1 injections for obesity and diabetes, which have surged in popularity in recent years. Some also expect the direct-to-consumer market to become an even larger slice of the market, while hoping that hurdles preventing patients from getting treatment continue to fall. Metsera, a company that was recently bought by Pfizer, is also investigating monthly GLP-1 and amylin analog drugs. The weight loss it produces is “profound” and might be a good fit for people with a very high BMI, Levy added. While the price of $149 for the starting dose is lower than what the companies currently offer for the injectable drugs, that price is only for the initial, lowest dose. In orforglipron’s study, up to 10% of patients stopped treatment, compared with 3% on placebo. Overall, 7% of participants in the Wegovy pill trial stopped treatment because of side effects, versus 6% on placebo. Gastrointestinal issues such as nausea and vomiting are the most commonly experienced side effects with GLP-1 drugs, which was seen in studies of the pills as well. Eli Lilly’s daily anti-obesity pill orforglipron appears to be as good at spurring weight loss and lowering blood sugar in diabetes patients as popular injectable GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, according to new data from a Phase 3 trial. Eli Lilly on Tuesday said its daily weight loss pill helped patients with obesity and Type 2 diabetes shed weight in a late-stage trial, meeting the study's main goal and clearing the way for the company to file for approval of the drug globally. Lilly has a number of clinical trials of the pill ongoing, including testing orforglipron in people who don’t have diabetes to see if they, too, lose weight similar to those using the injectable drugs. "That's a good indicator that they are comfortable with what they're seeing across the trials," BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan Seigerman told CNBC. In January, Eli Lilly CEO Dave Ricks said the pill could receive U.S. regulatory approval as soon as early 2026. But so-called small molecule pills will at least be easier for Eli Lilly to manufacture than injections. Eli Lilly does plan to manufacture the pill in the U.S. within five years. If the science holds up, it could be a more approachable option for a broader range of patients.” Despite the excitement around this pill, some providers are still proceeding with caution. “They are an alternative option to the injectable GLP-1, which might improve patient acceptance of the treatment and long-term compliance.” GLP-1 agonists have actually been used to treat type 2 diabetes for around 20 years now.” In the current trial, participants took the pill once a day with no food or water restrictions. All three doses were effective at lowering blood sugar, while the middle and highest doses showed clinically meaningful and statistically significant reductions in body weight. “What we see is that the efficacy, safety, and tolerability are really consistent with the very best injectable GLP-1s,” says Kenneth Custer, president of cariometabolic health at Eli Lilly, of the company’s experimental pill. Like Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy, both of Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide drugs are injected on a weekly basis. The company noted that it recorded $550 million in drug-related inventory in its February financial statements, underscoring its readiness to launch the medication on a global scale. For some people, pills may serve as a more convenient — and potentially in certain cases cheaper — alternative to today's blockbuster injections. GLP-1 pills for obesity are closer than ever. But we're unlikely to know more until the trial data is "presented at a scientific forum or submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal in the future." Patients who took Ozempic in a 2021 clinical trial lost nearly 15% of their body weight. Drugs like tirzepatide and rival Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy catapulted to the national spotlight in recent years for being weight loss "miracles." Doctors say patients who don't want to use injectable medications may find oral pills easier to stick with. Tirzepatide is among a new class of weight-loss drugs that appear to offer promise in a field long plagued by gimmicks and safety issues. The 72-week trial involved 2,539 people who were obese or overweight with another medical condition. Those taking a low dose of the drug, which is injected weekly, lost about 35 pounds, or about 15% of their body weight, Lilly said in a news release. Companies have been racing to develop more convenient, as well as more powerful, obesity treatments, including pills. Researchers randomly assigned participants to take a daily pill containing 25 mg of semaglutide or a placebo.“Unfortunately, I think insurance will still primarily determine how people choose which medication to take for weight loss,” Dushay says.A semaglutide pill called Rybelsus has been available for many years, but the FDA only approved it to treat diabetes, and the maximum dose is 14 mg.Lilly said it would report data from another trial for the pill for weight management later in the year.Lilly said liver safety was thoroughly evaluated and concluded that there was no concerning pattern of liver issues among patients taking the drug.Novo Nordisk expands pivotal amycretin program after dual agonist shines in diabetes.That compares to a 0.1% reduction in patients who took a placebo during the same period.As mentioned, Lilly has generated blockbuster revenue thanks to its weight loss portfolio.But it is unclear whether oral semaglutide could receive a similar preferential status.The Phase 3 ATTAIN-MAINTAIN trial is the first of its kind to demonstrate that a “small molecule” oral drug can prevent the weight regain that often occurs when patients cease injectable incretin therapies. While the pills aren't expected to bring more weight loss than weekly shots, based on separate clinical trials, some health experts say expanding the range of treatments could still be a major win for patients. The experimental obesity drug helped patients lose around 24% of their weight, setting a new bar for weight loss in mid-stage clinical trials. The highest dose of Eli Lilly's drug also helped patients lose an average of 9.2% of their weight, or 19.7 pounds, compared with 5.3% weight loss, or 11 pounds, with Novo Nordisk's pill. “This emerging pattern suggests that the obesity space is pivoting toward comprehensive treatment flexibility as a key driver of long-term adherence and market share in chronic weight management.” Last month, a trial of the same drug in people with diabetes also disappointed. Late last year, the stock fell 21 per cent after it published phase three results for its drug CagriSema, showing it missed its goal of 25 per cent weight loss. The company expects to submit it for approval for weight-loss treatment later this year, and for diabetes in 2026. With use of these popular weight loss drugs increasing daily, pharmaceutical companies like Eli Lilly are finding new ways to offer them to consumers without having to inject the medication. A new GLP-1 pill from Eli Lilly has shown positive results in clinical trials. Neither drugmaker has released specific list prices for their pills. It's unclear exactly when that approval could be, but it's safe to say that the pill will enter the market sometime in 2026. The Food and Drug Administration in November said it has awarded a priority review voucher to that pill, which could expedite the review timeline for the drug to a few months. That could include people who are afraid of needles or patients who might benefit from the existing injections but don't take them because they don't view their need as severe enough. The FDA recently added orforglipron to the second group of medications in its new Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher (CNPV) program. When possible, a nutritious diet and routine exercise are ideal ways to lose body weight. Still, some internal or external factors may be driving you to try to lower your body weight. By subscribing you agree with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company. That excludes the highest dose of Ozempic. Another senior administration official said around 10% of Medicare beneficiaries will be eligible to receive GLP-1s for obesity and cardiovascular and metabolic benefits. "This is the biggest drug in our country, and that's why this is the most important of all the most favored nation announcements we've made," Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said during the briefing. The deals are among the most politically significant announcements to date in the Trump administration's push to rein in high U.S. drug costs by tying them to the lowest prices abroad. Starting doses of existing injections like Novo's Wegovy and Lilly's Zepbound will be $350 per month on TrumpRX, but will "trend down" to $245 per month over a two-year period, another senior administration official said during the briefing. The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said it has awarded priority review vouchers, which expedite the review timelines of Eli Lilly's pill. Eli Lilly on Tuesday said it will spend $6.5 billion to build a manufacturing facility in Houston, Texas, to boost production of the company's pipeline of so-called small molecule drugs, including its closely watched experimental obesity pill. More than half of those who have used the injectable drugs said they did so for diabetes, while about 4 in 10 said their goal was weight loss. Eli Lilly says its GLP-1 drug in pill form is as safe and effective as Ozempic and other mega-popular injectable drugs for weight loss and lowering blood sugar. Eli Lilly's latest news comes just days after Pfizer announced that it would scrap the development of danuglipron, a once-daily GLP-1 pill for diabetes and weight management, after one person reported a liver injury while taking the drug during a clinical trial. An oral version of semaglutide, sold under the brand name Rybelsus, has been on the market since 2019 but is not approved for weight management and isn’t as effective for weight loss as injectable GLP-1s. Lilly did state that 8% of patients on the highest orforglipron dose discontinued treatment due to adverse events. Forecasts estimate that the market for obesity drugs could exceed $150 billion in the coming years. Orforglipron is the first in a series of ongoing trials testing the oral treatment, and its success raises the prospect of a highly effective, user-friendly alternative to existing injectable weight-loss medications. In March, Roche Holding entered into a $5.3-billion deal to co-develop and commercialize Zealand Pharma’s amylin drug, called petrelintide. Gastrointestinal side effects were relatively minimal, with about 10% of patients experiencing diarrhea and 8% vomiting. They’re thought to be a gentler option for losing weight than currently available injections like Zepbound and Wegovy, which often have side effects like nausea and vomiting. "I think these oral GLP-1s mean having more tools in our toolbox, having more options for different people who might react differently to different medicines," he said. The company on Monday also said it would stop developing another experimental pill, lotiglipron, which Bansal said had been the "more attractive GLP-1" in Pfizer's portfolio since it's only taken once a day. Novo Nordisk has a low-dose oral version of semaglutide that has the same list price as Ozempic for a monthly package of 30 tablets. Pills are also typically cheaper than injections, though it's unclear if that will be the case with the obesity pills. There are currently no studies directly comparing the two drugs, a Novo Nordisk spokesperson said. Eli Lilly's ATTAIN-1 trial also followed 3,000 patients, while Novo Nordisk's OASIS 4 study evaluated a much smaller group of roughly 300. The Danish company added it will be "laser-focused on getting this product to patients without supply constraints" in the U.S. In a statement, Novo Nordisk CEO Mike Doustar said "we strongly believe in the efficacy" of the oral drug. The race to develop a more convenient obesity pill has been fraught, as companies such as Pfizer have had to scrap previous contenders and bring forward new ones. Eli Lilly expects US FDA approval for oral obesity drug in March 2026. Amgen plans phase III program for next-gen obesity drug targeting liver and kidney diseases. Off-label drugs for weight management. Research study to investigate how well semaglutide tablets taken once daily work in people who are overweight or living with obesity (OASIS 1) (OASIS 1). Additionally, Eli Lilly has also conducted negotiations with the US Government, initiating an obesity deal with Medicaid, which aims to increase coverage to the population compared to the commercial market. For example, individuals who may struggle with subcutaneous injections have an oral treatment option. Orforglipron is a once-daily orally administered tablet, compared to tirzepatide, which requires a once-weekly subcutaneous injection, and demonstrates a predictable efficacy and safety profile according to the company. GlobalData forecasts the therapy to generate over $13bn by 2031 and is currently in the pre-registration phase in the US for T2D and obesity. Furthermore, the SURPASS-CVOT clinical trial sponsored by Eli Lilly was launched in 2020 and compared Mounjaro against its GLP-1 agonist Trulicity (dulaglutide), marketed in 2014. The company is set to release key late-stage trial data on the drug, orforglipron, by the middle of this year.Roughly 110 million Americans are obese, but only three million are receiving a pharmacological treatment, according to Patrik Jonsson, president of Lilly Immunology, Lilly USA and chief customer officer.Other weight loss drugs currently on the market mimic just one or two hunger-regulating hormones.In an interview at the conference, Doustdar said it could also include people who travel frequently and can't easily refrigerate injections.And now, Novo Nordisk will have even more time to capture a large portion of this market before Eli Lilly can launch its own challenger.But once patients enter the health-care system for treatment, doctors can guide them through all options – whether that's an injection, metabolic surgery, or structured diet and exercise programs, Apovian said. In a previous 36-week Phase 2 trial, orforglipron was shown to reduce body weight by nearly 15% without an apparent plateau. The poll found that 12% of adults have taken a GLP-1 agonist drug to lose weight, treat diabetes, or prevent heart attack or stroke because they have heart disease. “In the coming decades, 700 million people around the world will have Type 2 diabetes, and over a billion will have obesity,” Dr. Daniel Skovronsky, Lilly’s chief scientific officer, told the New York Times. Pfizer, however, is still working on developing another weight-loss pill as are other drug companies, including Novo Nordisk and Roche Holdings, Viking Therapeutics, and Structure Therapeutics. The agreements will cut the prices the government pays for the drugs, introduce Medicare coverage of obesity drugs for the first time for certain patients and offer discounted medicines on the government's new direct-to-consumer website launching in January, TrumpRx. The announcement also comes weeks after chief rival Novo Nordisk unveiled additional discounts on the cash prices of its obesity and diabetes drugs. Bourla estimated that the direct-to-consumer channel already makes up 30% of the obesity and diabetes drug market in the U.S. The phase three trial found the drug lowered blood sugar by an average of 1.3 per cent to 1.6 per cent and reduced body weight by an average of 8 per cent when taken at its highest dose. In a clinical trial, the brand found more than 500 people with type 2 diabetes who took orforglipron lost an average of 16 pounds, which equated to 8% of their body weight, according to Eli Lilly, which mimics results of its injection counterparts. Other weight loss drugs currently on the market mimic just one or two hunger-regulating hormones. Here's how much weight loss drugs could cost for patients under the new agreements, based on the details shared so far. Pfizer inherited several experimental injections and pills with combination potential from its roughly $10 billion acquisition of the obesity biotech Metsera last year. That's how tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Lilly's blockbuster obesity and diabetes injections, works. He said the company is already working on manufacturing the two ingredients together in a single pill, which is similar to what Novo's amycretin achieves. Eli Lilly has said orforglipron helped patients lose up to 14.7% of their weight in a mid-stage trial, compared with 2.3% among people who took a placebo."I feel like the winners are now starting to emerge for the monotherapy" treatments, he said.Researchers said that despite the recent study's 72-week duration, weight reduction was not greater, which could be due to differences in trial design, including more geographic diversity and a higher percentage of men.All three doses were effective at lowering blood sugar, while the middle and highest doses showed clinically meaningful and statistically significant reductions in body weight.So your provider will need to check your blood pressure regularly at the start of treatment.Novo Nordisk in June said some mass, so-called 503B compounding pharmacies have scaled back production, but accused others — including those tied to Hims & Hers — of continuing to sell the drugs under the "false guise" of personalization.Starting doses of existing injections like Novo's Wegovy and Lilly's Zepbound will be $350 per month on TrumpRX, but will "trend down" to $245 per month over a two-year period, another senior administration official said during the briefing.Across the three trials, efsitora demonstrated an overall safety profile similar to two of the most commonly used daily basal insulin therapies for type 2 diabetes. Liraglutide also is used to manage diabetes. So your provider will need to check your blood pressure regularly at the start of treatment. Bupropion-naltrexone is a combination drug. The treatment is inching closer to becoming a new, needle-free alternative in the highly lucrative market for weight loss and diabetes drugs called GLP-1s. Eli Lilly on Thursday said the highest dose of its daily obesity pill helped patients lose almost 12% of their body weight, or roughly 27 pounds, at 72 weeks in a late-stage trial, paving the way for its entrance into the market. The highest dose of Zepbound, Eli Lilly’s injectable GLP-1 drug approved for obesity management, leads to a 21% weight loss in adults without diabetes after 72 weeks, according to the company. The weight loss shown in a late-stage trial of the pill is less than people can achieve with the injectable GLP-1 drugs, which can be 20% of body weight or more, NBC News medical contributor Dr. Natalie Azar said on TODAY. The company raked in more than $45 billion in revenue in 2024 alone, a significant share of which came from its portfolio of diabetes and obesity products. Fueled by those treatments, Eli Lilly has become the largest global pharmaceutical and health-care company by market cap, with a market value of about $814 billion as of Monday. Eli Lilly has benefitted from the windfall from tirzepatide – the active ingredient in its weight loss injection Zepbound and diabetes shot Mounjaro – which targets GLP-1 but also activates another gut hormone called GIP. It is unclear whether orforglipron will have a hefty list price similar to those of the injections, which cost roughly $1,000 per month, or whether it will help expand insurance coverage for obesity treatments. The pill could also help Eli Lilly solidify its dominance in the growing segment as a slate of other drugmakers race to bring a product to the market. But practicing healthy lifestyle habits may help limit weight gain. Ask your insurance company about your coverage. And ask about the possible benefits and risks of each drug. It’s being studied for weight loss and Type 2 diabetes in adults. Adults living with Type 2 diabetes saw about 14% weight loss along with improvements in blood sugar readings. A recently published meta analysis concluded that retatrutide led to the most weight loss among GLP-1-based treatments, but it also caused the most side effects. Patients who took a 12-milligram dose of retatrutide lost 17.5% of their body weight, or 41 pounds, on average after 24 weeks, compared with 1.6% for those who received the placebo. Lilly is already a leader in the obesity market, where Zepbound is capturing the majority of new prescriptions. Researchers are beginning to wonder whether blockbuster drugs such as Wegovy, Ozempic and Zepbound could play a role in preventing cancer. He noted that the pill offers a “convenient alternative” for long-term weight management without the need for weekly needles. “Obesity is a chronic, progressive disease, and sustaining weight loss remains a significant challenge,” said Kenneth Custer, Lilly’s executive vice president of cardiometabolic health in a press release. That compares to a 15% average weight loss with a Wegovy injection. No amylin analogs are approved for weight loss right now by the U.S. Jay believes it will be the next hot thing in the weight-loss drug space. Hundreds of medications are needed for the treatment of a chronic disease like obesity, says Dr. Ania Jastreboff, director of the Yale Obesity Research Center. In Lilly’s study, called Achieve-1, the company compared the safety and efficacy of orforglipron to those of a placebo in adults with type 2 diabetes and inadequate glycemic control who were on a diet and exercise regimen. On April 17, the company announced the results of a Phase 3 clinical trial of orforglipron, a small molecule that it licensed from the Japanese firm Chugai Pharmaceutical in 2018. Retatrutide would, however, be expected to lead to more weight loss, more quickly, given both its ability to mimic three hunger-regulating hormones and the data released by Eli Lilly so far. Food and Drug Administration for approval, possibly for patients with Type 2 diabetes or patients with obesity and other health concerns. But Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly agreed to extend lower government pricing for their GLP-1 drugs – $245 per month across all other non-starting doses – to all 50 Medicaid programs for all covered uses. The Goldman analysts said they expect Eli Lilly's pill to have a 60% share — or roughly $13.6 billion — of the daily oral segment of the market in 2030. Neither company has released prices for its respective pill, but some analysts said Eli Lilly's drug could potentially have a lower price than Novo Nordisk's pill. But while Novo Nordisk's pill is a peptide medication, orforglipron is a small-molecule drug. About 10% of study participants who took the highest dose of the pill stopped treatment because of the side effects, twice as many as those taking a placebo. FBI issues safety warning about counterfeit versions of weight loss drug semaglutide For example, you shouldn't take prescription weight-loss drugs if you're trying to get pregnant, are pregnant or are breastfeeding. Then your provider talks with you about the pros and cons of prescription weight-loss drugs. Just know that you need to use prescription weight-loss drugs in addition to — not instead of — a healthy diet and exercise. The pill could also help Eli Lilly solidify its dominance in the growing segment as a slate of other drugmakers race to bring similar products to the market. Eli Lilly also said patients saw no plateau in their weight loss by the time the study ended, suggesting they could lose more beyond that period. Patients, doctors and investors will soon learn a lot more about a new, more convenient treatment that could shake up the booming weight loss drug market. GLP-1 drugs represent a major advance in weight loss treatment, so the excitement around them isn't misplaced. Lilly's oral GLP-1, orforglipron, is successful in third Phase 3 trial, triggering global regulatory submissions this year for the treatment of obesity. Drugmakers, researchers and scientists are also generating more data about the benefits of obesity drugs for health-care spending, which could help spur more employer coverage, Skovronsky said. He also pointed to an "activation of consumers," where patients are starting to call their employers and ask why their benefits don't cover obesity drugs. He said adding Wave's injection on top of a GLP-1 won't make it more difficult for patients to tolerate the treatment regimen, so it makes the company's drug "very amenable to combination" options. The next chapter is already taking shape, with Novo launching the first GLP-1 pill for obesity earlier this month and Lilly preparing to bring an oral option of its own to market later this year. In a note in August, Goldman Sachs analysts forecast that pills will capture a 24% share — or around $22 billion — of the 2030 global weight loss drug market, which they expect to be worth $95 billion in total. Around 4.8% of people who switched to the pill from Wegovy discontinued treatment due to side effects, while 7.2% of those who switched to the oral drug from Zepbound did the same. He said the trial showed that the pill "helped people maintain the weight they worked hard to lose" and that, if approved, it could "provide a convenient alternative for the millions of individuals living with obesity around the globe to continue their long-term health journey." But an oral pill for obesity from Novo Nordisk will likely enter the market first, giving the Danish drugmaker a head start in staking its claim in the space. While Eli Lilly's pill appears to cause less weight loss overall than existing injections, Thursday's results highlight its potential role as a needle-free maintenance treatment in the blockbuster GLP-1 market. STAT Plus: Insurers blame drugmakers, hospitals for high prices If approved, orforglipron would represent a major shift in the obesity market, providing a shelf-stable, easy-to-take option for millions of individuals transitioning out of the intensive weight-loss phase of their treatment. Indianapolis-based Eli Lilly’s orforglipron helped people maintain weight loss after switching from injectable incretins to oral GLP-1 therapy in first-of-its-kind Phase 3 trial. It's a critical part of the drugmaker's plan to maintain its market share majority over Novo Nordisk in the booming market for weight loss and diabetes drugs. The pharmaceutical giant's climb in operational and financial quality arrives as President Donald Trump pledges to drive "fat-loss drug" prices much lower—a move that sent shares of major GLP-1 drugmakers tumbling in October. Zepbound injection is approved as a 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, or 15 mg per 0.5 mL in single-dose pen or single-dose vial. Tell your healthcare provider if you have changes in vision during treatment with Zepbound. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have agreed to cut the price Medicare pays for GLP-1s it already covers for diabetes and other indications, along with those drugs for obesity, to $245 per month. Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk already have programs to sell their weight loss drugs at a discount directly to cash-paying consumers, but the new agreements appear to take those efforts to boost access a step further. As the new drugs roll out, some detractors could continue to argue that GLP-1 drugs are just a Band-Aid, pointing out that many people gain the weight back as soon as they get off the meds. The drugs in development now are dual agonists (like Mounjaro) and triple agonists, which activate multiple receptors simultaneously to enhance their ability to promote weight loss. According to preliminary data from Phase 1 trials, a new pill by the makers of Ozempic can reduce body weight by more than double (10 to 13 percent) in the same time frame. The study met its primary endpoint at 36 weeks, with 31.7% of patients receiving the combined treatment achieving both a 50% improvement in PsA activity and at least a 10% reduction in body weight. “We also believe that the orforglipron pricing will increase competitiveness with compounders that may otherwise have captured market share in the obesity space.” “Unfortunately, I think insurance will still primarily determine how people choose which medication to take for weight loss,” Dushay says. Side effects led almost 7 percent of people on oral semaglutide to discontinue treatment. Some people turned to compounding pharmacies that make even cheaper copies of Zepbound because the branded treatment has been too costly and was in shortage until recent months. That differs from single-dose autoinjector pens, the currently available form of all Zepbound doses, which patients can directly inject under their skin with the click of a button. The company is selling 7.5 milligram and 10 milligram vials of Zepbound for $499 per month when patients fill their first prescription, and any time they refill within 45 days of their previous delivery. Eligible patients diagnosed by a health-care provider with obesity alone or along with obstructive sleep apnea — Zepbound’s newly approved use — can pay for those vials themselves on the site. Eli Lilly is now offering higher doses of Zepbound in single-dose vials through a “self-pay pharmacy” section on its direct-to-consumer website, LillyDirect, which began offering lower doses of the drug in vials in August. But around 1 in 8 adults said they were taking a GLP-1 drug to lose weight or treat another chronic condition as of November, according to a poll from health policy research organization KFF.The findings from the trial "challenge the notion that patients living with obesity or overweight can achieve their weight loss goals with diet and exercise alone," according to Emmick.Eli Lilly also said patients saw no plateau in their weight loss by the time the study ended, suggesting they could lose more beyond that period.The results support the pharmaceutical giant's efforts to bring next-generation treatments to the blockbuster weight loss drug market, and solidify its dominance in the segment.Aphaia doses first subject in second phase II obesity treatment trial.News of the promising trial results sent Eli Lilly’s shares soaring by 16%, reflecting investor optimism around the drug’s commercial potential.Lilly has accused Pivotal Peptides of selling products claiming to contain tirzepatide directly to patients without any prescription from a medical professional, despite advertising the drugs for research purposes. “It’s important to know that oral semaglutide has to be taken on an empty stomach with a small amount of water, at least 30 minutes before any food, drink, or other medications to maximize absorption,” Dushay says. The Wegovy pill comes with some restrictions around when and how to take it. Most participants taking the 25 mg Wegovy pill did experience side effects, which were typically mild. Researchers randomly assigned participants to take a daily pill containing 25 mg of semaglutide or a placebo. “We are known for building great relationships with our patients, and our teams look forward to doing more of that through making this pickup option available from our trusted pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.” “Life is busy, and this will help people discover new, easy ways to get their medication,” said Kevin Host, Senior Vice President of Pharmacy at Walmart. Walmart’s team of over 50,000 trusted pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, and extensive pharmacy footprint, paired with LillyDirect’s online convenience, offers patients flexibility in how they access their medications and pharmacy support services. By combining LillyDirect’s innovative, patient-centered platform with Walmart’s nationwide pharmacy footprint, we’re expanding options for patients facing access challenges, making it easier to start and stay on authentic Lilly medicine.” “This collaboration with Walmart is designed to reduce that burden by streamlining access to prescribed treatment. A phase three study from Eli Lilly, which is studying orforglipron's ability to maintain weight loss, will bring more clarity on that issue. The Goldman analysts said they expect Eli Lilly's pill to have a 60% share — or roughly $13.6 billion — of the market for daily oral treatments in 2030. The Trump administration plans to pilot coverage of weight loss drugs under Medicare and Medicaid, which could expand access to millions of older Americans, the Washington Post reported in August. Stitch said employers also have questions about how oral obesity drugs, which could be available as soon as 2025, could affect demand and costs. While new competitors and lower-cost pills could allow drugs to reach more patients, access will largely depend on how companies like Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly choose to price their drugs in the years ahead. Experience unmatched clarity with a single platform that combines unique data, AI, and human expertise. This study focused on cardiovascular outcomes in patients with T2D. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close. You have to make a judgment call, and it involves trusting in the ability of long-successful drug companies to be innovative. This is known as a patent cliff, and thus, there are legitimate concerns about these two drugmakers' businesses in the near term. If Lilly prices the drug at around $200 per month, Truist said it believes patients will flock to it. Drugmaker Eli Lilly is seeking FDA approval for its own GLP-1 pill, orforglipron, with a decision anticipated early next year. However, as with injectable GLP-1s, cost may be a consideration in determining access to the Wegovy pill, particularly since many insurance plans don’t cover obesity medications, Dushay says. As CNBC reported, “This more convenient, easier-to-manufacture pill could give Eli Lilly a major edge over Novo Nordisk and other rivals trying to enter the lucrative space." Lilly said that 65% of those taking the orforglipron had blood sugar that fell into the normal range. Those who took the study medication saw a decrease in blood sugar levels similar to that experienced by patients in other studies who took Ozempic or Mounjaro. “Injections cannot be the solution for billions of people around the world.” And it’s a daily pill, which would eliminate the need to take a shot to get the benefit. In a separate statement, Novo Nordisk CEO Mike Doustdar said, "today's announcement will bring semaglutide medicines to more American patients at a lower cost." Semaglutide is the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic. The multidose pen of Zepbound will be available at $299 per month at the lowest dose, with additional doses being priced up to $449 per month. Also on Thursday, Eli Lilly said it would lower prices by $50 on its own direct-to-consumer platform, LillyDirect, which already offers Zepbound at a discount to cash-paying patients. As part of the deals, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk also made similar pledges to the ones other drugmakers have made as part of Trump's most favored nation agreements. The administration official said, "We are constraining the access for patients that will benefit clinically from it, we've worked very hard to strike a balance between broad access that just makes sure to capture patients that will benefit clinically."