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The weight loss drug market is on the verge of a major innovation as several drugmakers race to develop effective, convenient, and potentially affordable obesity pills.
Currently, most weight loss and diabetes drugs, such as Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Ozempic and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound and Mounjaro, are administered as weekly injections. These medications are GLP-1 agonists, which have seen a surge in popularity over the past year.
Now, major players like Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, and Pfizer, along with other drugmakers such as Roche and AstraZeneca, are working on oral alternatives that promise greater convenience for patients and easier large-scale manufacturing. This development could also address the supply shortages currently affecting injectable treatments in the U.S.
While pills are generally less expensive than injections, it remains uncertain if this will be the case for oral obesity drugs. For instance, Novo Nordisk’s low-dose oral version of semaglutide, marketed as Rybelsus, costs $968.52 per month before insurance and rebates, comparable to the roughly $1,000 monthly list price for current injections.
Pfizer, after experiencing setbacks last year, announced on Thursday that it is advancing a once-daily version of its oral weight loss drug, danuglipron, into further studies to determine the ideal dosage. This comes after Pfizer discontinued its twice-daily version of danuglipron and another oral obesity drug, lotiglipron. However, Pfizer’s once-daily danuglipron is still in early development stages, and the company has not yet committed to late-stage studies required for regulatory approval.
Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are ahead in the competition. Eli Lilly’s oral GLP-1 drug, orforglipron, showed promising results in a mid-stage trial, helping patients lose up to 14.7% of their weight after 36 weeks compared to 2.3% for those on a placebo. Late-stage trial results are expected in 2025. Novo Nordisk’s high-dose oral semaglutide demonstrated an average weight loss of 15% after 68 weeks in a phase three trial. The company aims to file for FDA approval soon.
Additionally, Novo Nordisk’s experimental weight loss pill, amycretin, showed a 13.1% weight loss after 12 weeks in an early-stage trial, with mid-stage trial results expected in 2026. Amycretin targets both the gut hormone GLP-1 and the pancreas hormone amylin, which influences hunger.
Other companies developing oral drugs for obesity and diabetes include Structure Therapeutics, Viking Therapeutics, Roche, and AstraZeneca, all working on once-daily oral GLP-1 drugs or dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonists.
