The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency approval to a new oral weight-loss drug from Eli Lilly, making it the second daily medication available to treat obesity and weight-related health problems.
The drug, called orforgliberone, works by mimicking a natural hormone that controls appetite and feelings of fullness. Unlike many other medications, such as Novo Nordisk's oral medication Wegovi, which must be taken on an empty stomach in the morning with a 30-minute wait before consuming any food or drink, it is easy to take without specific restrictions.
The drug, which will be marketed under the name Foundayo, is scheduled to begin shipping next Monday. According to the company, insured individuals will be able to purchase the drug for as little as $25 per month using the company's debit card, while cash payments will range from $149 to $349 depending on the dosage.
Clinical trials involving more than 3,000 obese adults showed that participants taking the maximum dose of orforglibrone (36 mg) lost an average of 11.3 kg of body weight over 16 months. In contrast, participants taking a placebo lost less than 2.3 kg on average. Users also reported improvements in waist circumference, blood pressure, and triglyceride and cholesterol levels.
Despite some digestive side effects, which led 5% to 10% of participants to discontinue treatment, this drug offers a more convenient option than injections, especially given the high cost of injectable GLP-1 drugs.
The launch of Orforglibrone follows the success of Novo Nordisk's oral medication, Wegovi, which has garnered over 600,000 prescriptions since last December. However, the new tablets achieve slightly lower results than injectable drugs such as Eli Lilly's Zepbound (21% average weight loss) or injectable Wegovi (around 15%).
