Eli Lilly's Oral GLP-1 Pill Promises Significant Weight Loss for Obesity and Diabetes Patients

According to data released on August 26, 2025, pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly's new daily oral GLP-1 pill has demonstrated impressive weight loss and blood sugar control benefits for people with obesity and type 2 diabetes. The Phase 3 trial results show that participants taking the highest 36mg dose of the pill, known as orforglipron, lost an average of 23 pounds or more than 10% of their body weight over the course of approximately 17 months.

The oral GLP-1 medication also reduced hemoglobin A1C levels, a key indicator of blood sugar control, by an average of 1.3% to 1.8% in people with diabetes. Eli Lilly plans to present this data to the FDA and seek approval for orforglipron as a treatment for obesity by the end of 2025.

If approved, Eli Lilly's once-daily oral pill could provide a more convenient alternative to injectable GLP-1 drugs, which are currently the standard of care for obesity and diabetes management. "If approved, we are ready to offer a convenient, once-daily pill that can be scaled globally -- removing barriers and redefining how obesity is treated around the world," said Kenneth Custer, Eli Lilly's executive vice president.

The company's latest findings build on earlier data released in August 2025, which showed that trial participants who are overweight or have obesity lost an average of 27 pounds, or about 12.4% of their body weight, after taking the oral GLP-1 pill for at least 72 weeks.