A pill against diabetes: reduces blood sugar and weight without the need for injections

A pill to be taken once a day, without injections or dietary restrictions, could soon change the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It is called orforglipron and is the first oral non-peptide Glp-1 receptor agonist (Glp-1 RA) drug to achieve positive results in a Phase 3 clinical trial.

In the first trial of the Achieve programme, conducted on more than 550 patients in several countries including the US, China, Japan, India and Mexico, orforglipron was shown to reduce glycated haemoglobin (A1C) by up to 1.6% compared to placebo in people with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled by diet and exercise alone. In parallel, patients treated with the highest dose of the drug lost an average of about 7 kg weight, a reduction of 7.9 per cent of their initial body weight.

The data, released today, pave the way for a potential new treatment option that combines the efficacy of injectable Glp-1 with the convenience of oral administration. More than 65% of patients treated with orforglipron achieved an A1C value below 6.5%, a threshold indicative of good glycaemic control according to the American Diabetes Association.

The safety profile was also in line with that of the other drugs in the same class: the most common side effects were gastrointestinal, with generally mild or moderate intensity.

The researchers point out that orforglipron could meet the demand of more than 75 per cent of patients who prefer oral over injectable treatments, without sacrificing efficacy and safety. The goal is to obtain regulatory approval for weight management by the end of 2025 and for diabetes in 2026.