Eli Lilly and Co (NYSE:LLY) shares jumped 12% in premarket trading on Thursday after the drugmaker said its experimental weight-loss pill, orforglipron, succeeded in a late-stage trial in patients with type 2 diabetes, showing promise as a potential rival to injectable treatments like Ozempic.
The once-daily oral drug significantly reduced blood sugar levels and body weight in the Phase 3 trial, marking a milestone as the first oral GLP-1 receptor agonist to reach this stage without requiring food or water restrictions.
At the highest tested dose, patients lost an average of 16 pounds and saw their A1C levels—a key measure of blood sugar—drop by up to 1.6%.
Lilly said it plans to file for regulatory approval for weight-loss use by the end of 2025 and submit for diabetes treatment in 2026. The company also noted that the pill could be manufactured and launched globally without supply constraints.
Further late-stage trial results in obese patients are expected later this year.
The success of orforglipron could help Lilly expand its presence in the fast-growing weight-loss market, which has been dominated by injectable drugs like Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy.