Eli Lilly says its experimental GLP-1 pill helped patients lose 12.4 per cent of their body weight after 72 weeks in a late-stage study.

Unlike injectable obesity drugs, which are peptides designed to mimic the appetite-controlling GLP-1 hormone, orforglipron is a small molecule pill that is easier to manufacture and package, said Kenneth Custer, president of Lilly’s cardiometabolic health division.

Lilly, whose injectable GLP-1 Zepbound competes directly with Wegovy, views the once-daily pill as a promising alternative to injections that could be used for early intervention and long-term disease management, Custer said.

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“We have pretty big aspirations for how many patients orforglipron could help,” he said, adding that Lilly still expects to file for regulatory approvals of the once-daily pill before the end of the year.

In the study of more than 3000 overweight or obese adults with weight-related health issues, but not diabetes, those who received the highest 36 milligram dose of orforglipron on average shed 12.4 per cent of their weight versus 0.9 per cent for those who received a placebo.

Patients on a six-milligram dose of the Lilly drug lost 7.8 per cent of their weight.

The most common side effects seen in the study were mild-to-moderate gastrointestinal issues. The rate of nausea for high-dose patients was 33.7 per cent, while 24 per cent experienced vomiting, compared with 10.4 per cent and 3.5 per cent, respectively for the placebo group.

Just over 10 per cent of the high-dose patients dropped out of the trial due to adverse side effects. No liver safety issues were seen, Lilly said.

Custer said orforglipron can be taken without restrictions on food and water.

Lilly said orforglipron also lowered markers of heart disease risk, including cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure, across all doses.

Lilly has also said it has begun manufacturing the drug in order to stockpile supply ahead of a commercial launch, which should help avoid shortages experienced when early demand for the injectables far outstripped supply.

The full results from the Lilly-backed trial will be presented next month at a major European diabetes meeting, the Indianapolis-based drugmaker said.