Lilly's Weight-Loss Pill: FDA Approval by 2026?
By Lindsey Leake
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January 21, 2025, 8:05 PM ET
Eli Lilly & Co., a Fortune 500 pharmaceutical firm known for its weight-loss injection Zepbound (tirzepatide), is developing a comparable oral medication called orforglipron. CEO Dave Ricks announced on Bloomberg TV that the drug could receive FDA approval as early as 2026.
“It’s highly anticipated and really important,” Ricks stated. “The benefit here is not just the convenience of the pill but the ability to scale it... We continue to build sites and so forth... but with oral technology we can make more and get this medicine to more people around the world.”
Key Points:
- orforglipron** is designed for chronic weight management and taken once daily.
- Unlike Zepbound, which is injected once a week, orforglipron is a nonpeptide GLP-1 receptor agonist.
- Clinical trials showed promising results, with participants losing an average of 8.6% to 12.6% of their body weight after 26 weeks.
The experimental pill's potential impact is significant, offering a more convenient and accessible weight-loss option.