Researchers say a daily tablet may help patients stay slim after stopping GLP-1 injections

A new daily pill designed to help people maintain weight loss after stopping obesity injections has shown promising results in a major clinical trial, raising hopes for a simpler and potentially cheaper alternative to weight loss jabs.

The tablet, called Orforglipron, was found to significantly reduce the risk of regaining weight after patients stopped using popular GLP-1 injections such as Mounjaro and Wegovy.

Researchers say the findings could mark an important step in the long-term treatment of obesity, a condition increasingly viewed by experts as a chronic disease requiring ongoing management rather than short-term solutions.

The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, involved 376 participants in the United States who had already spent more than a year using injectable GLP-1 medications and had successfully lost weight. Participants then stopped taking the injections and instead received either a daily orforglipron pill or a placebo for another year.

The results revealed a striking difference between the two groups.

Patients taking orforglipron managed to keep more than 70 per cent of their previous weight loss off, while those receiving the placebo maintained only around 38 to 50 per cent of their earlier weight reduction.

The research was funded by Eli Lilly, the pharmaceutical company behind Mounjaro.

Scientists say the drug works similarly to injectable GLP-1 treatments by mimicking natural hormones that reduce appetite and help people feel fuller for longer after eating. However, unlike injections, the medication comes in tablet form, potentially making treatment more convenient and less intimidating for many patients.

Experts believe this could dramatically widen access to obesity treatments if approved more broadly.

Marie Spreckley from the University of Cambridge said swallowing a pill could prove far more attractive for some people than regularly injecting themselves. However, she warned that important questions still remain unanswered.

“We still do not know how durable these effects will be over longer periods of time,” she said. “This study reinforces the growing recognition that obesity is a chronic, relapsing disease that often requires ongoing treatment and support.”

Researchers also acknowledged that some patients may ultimately need to remain on treatment indefinitely to avoid regaining weight.

The medication has already become available in the United States, where lower doses reportedly cost around $149 per month. That makes it substantially cheaper than some injectable GLP-1 drugs, which can exceed $1,000 per month in the US healthcare system.

It remains unclear when the drug could become available in the United Kingdom or how much it might cost British patients if approved.

The growing race to develop oral obesity drugs has intensified across the pharmaceutical industry. Rival company Novo Nordisk has also developed a tablet version of Wegovy, which has already been approved in the US while awaiting a decision in the UK.

Despite the encouraging results, researchers noted that side effects remained common among participants taking orforglipron. Most reactions were mild but included nausea, constipation and diarrhoea.

Still, health experts described the findings as highly significant.

Simon Cork from Anglia Ruskin University said the research addressed one of the biggest weaknesses associated with current injectable weight loss drugs, namely the rapid weight rebound many patients experience after stopping treatment.

He also highlighted another important benefit from the study. Participants taking the oral medication maintained improvements in blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels, potentially lowering long-term risks linked to obesity such as cardiovascular disease.

For millions struggling to maintain weight loss after coming off injections, the findings could offer new hope.

But experts caution that while the pill may help control obesity, it is unlikely to become a simple permanent cure.