What is Orforglipron, or the GLP-1 pill?

Orforglipron is attracting growing interest as the first oral GLP-1 treatment for weight management. While GLP-1 medicines like Mounjaro and Wegovy are helping thousands of people lose and maintain weight, there is one downside for many: they’re injectable. That’s where Orforglipron comes in.

Orforglipron is the first GLP-1 receptor agonist in pill form, and while not yet on the market, clinical trials look like it could be an effective, needle-free weight loss option. Here is everything we know so far and what it could mean for the future.

What is Orforglipron?

Orforglipron (pronounced or-FOR-gli-pron) belongs to the same family of drugs as semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro): GLP-1 receptor agonists. These drugs mimic a natural hormone called GLP-1 that regulates appetite, insulin, and blood sugar levels (1). 

The big difference? Rather than being a weekly weight loss injection, Orforglipron is taken as a once-daily pill. It’s the first of its kind in the GLP-1 category for treating obesity, making it more accessible and appealing to people who want the benefits of GLP-1 treatment without injections.

If needles are a barrier to weight treatment, Orforglipron looks like an interesting option for people in the future. 

How does it work? 

Like GLP-1 injections, Orforglipron works by activating GLP-1 receptors found in your gut and brain. Activating these receptors slows digestion by keeping food in the stomach for longer, reduces the reward associated with eating, and influences the brain regions involved in appetite regulation (1).

Together, these changes cause you to feel fuller for longer, suppress your appetite, and make you eat less overall. With time, this reduced food intake leads to a calorie deficit and significant weight loss, especially when combined with a healthy diet and exercise (1).

This approach sets Orforglipron apart from older weight loss pills like Orlistat. While Orlistat works in the gut to block fat absorption (2), Orforglipron works on a much deeper, hormonal level. It is the same method of action as the newer injections, which are showing significant and sustainable results.

How does it compare to other weight loss treatments?

Orforglipron is certainly effective, with encouraging results from clinical trials. A recent Phase II study found that participants taking Orforglipron lost up to 14.7% of their body weight over eight months, similar to results from Wegovy injections (3).

Newer therapies like CagriSema and retatrutide are also showing effective results. Early studies on CagriSema show an average 22.7% weight loss over 68 weeks (4), while retatrutide can help participants achieve 24% weight reduction in under a year (5).

But, it is absolutely not all about how much weight can be lost and how quickly. Orforglipron offers something the others don’t: a convenient, daily tablet. Currently, Orlistat is the only weight loss pill on the market, offering up to 10% loss from starting weight (6).

Orforglipron: a long-term maintenance option?

Clinical trials for Orforglipron are ongoing, and we will know more once full study data is released. But the general thinking in the industry is that Orforglipron might be well-suited as a maintenance therapy.

Why? GLP-1s are not quick fixes, we really need to move away from that way of thinking. These medicines are used for months to lose significant weight, and most people should stay on them long-term to maintain the results. If you stop weight loss injections, especially without keeping up healthier lifestyle habits, you may regain two-thirds of the weight you lost (9).

Yet, committing to years of injections can be a long-term burden. Orforglipron could be a way to help patients keep off their weight without having to use weekly injections for life. For example, someone might use an injectable like

Wegovy to get to a healthy weight, then transition to Orforglipron to help maintain that result over time.

That’s not to say it won’t be effective as a standalone treatment, as it very well might be. But like with every other GLP-1, success comes with consistency, the right patient fit, proper medical guidance, and a healthier lifestyle alongside medication.

Why isn’t Orforglipron available yet?

Like all new medications, Orforglipron needs to go through strict safety and efficacy checks before it can be licensed and released to the market. It is currently in late-stage clinical trials to assess its safety and long-term impact on people living with obesity or other weight-related conditions (8-11).

If all goes well, Orforglipron could be authorised in the US by late 2025, with the UK expected to follow in 2026 or 2027 (12). In the UK, bringing a drug to market takes a little longer. New medicines must be approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which reviews all clinical data to ensure the treatment is both safe and effective.

Even after a product receives a licence, further decisions must be made about whether the NHS will prescribe it, and that’s where NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) comes in. As with Wegovy and Mounjaro, it’s likely that Orforglipron will be available privately first, with NHS availability depending on future NICE guidance.

How much will it cost?

It’s early days, so pricing has not been confirmed, but it’s fair to assume Orforglipron will be priced similarly to current GLP-1 medications when it first launches. 

Currently, private treatments for Wegovy and Mounjaro cost around £120 to £250 per month, depending on dose and provider. As Orforglipron will compete directly with these injections and other emerging obesity treatments, pricing will probably reflect that.

But while cost is part of the picture. What matters most is finding the right treatment for you. Something safe, effective, and sustainable based on your goals, medical history, and lifestyle. Orforglipron could become a more affordable, easier-to-manage option for some people, or a maintenance option for others. 

Who might Orforglipron be right for?

We know that most obesity treatments currently available in the UK are prescribed to people with a starting BMI over 30 (or over 27 with weight-related conditions) (2), and Orforglipron will likely follow the same eligibility criteria if used as a standalone treatment. While some weight loss injections may be more effective, it could be an especially good fit for:

• People who want a non-injectable GLP-1 option
• Patients seeking a weight maintenance treatment
• Anyone with a needle phobia or preference for oral medications

However, if Orforglipron is approved as a maintenance option as expected, the requirements could be different. Patients who’ve already achieved health improvement with injections may qualify at a lower BMI, provided they’ve previously been on an eligible GLP-1 medication.

What does this mean for patients?

We’re still a year or two away from seeing Orforglipron in the UK, but its launch could mark a major shift in how we approach obesity treatment. With oral GLP-1s like this on the horizon, there may soon be more flexible, less invasive ways to manage weight, both for losing it and keeping it off.

In the meantime, if you’re exploring options, we offer a range of proven GLP-1 treatments already available via prescription, subject to approval.

References

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2. National Health Service. Treatment - Obesity [Internet]. NHS. NHS; 2023.
3. Wharton S, Blevins T, Connery L, Rosenstock J, Raha S, Liu R, et al. Daily Oral GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Orforglipron for Adults with Obesity. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2023 Jun 23;389(10).
4. CagriSema demonstrates superior weight loss in adults with obesity or overweight in the REDEFINE 1 trial [Internet]. Novo Nordisk. 2024 Dec 20.
5. Jastreboff AM, Kaplan LM, Frias JP, Wu Q, Du Y, Sirel Gurbuz, et al. Triple–Hormone-Receptor Agonist Retatrutide for Obesity — A Phase 2 Trial. The New England Journal Of Medicine. 2023 Jun 26;389(6).
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8. A Study of Orforglipron (LY3502970) in Adolescent Participants With Obesity, or Overweight With Related Comorbidities. [Internet]. Clinicaltrials.gov. 2025.
9. A Master Protocol for Orforglipron in Participants With Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Obesity or Overweight (ATTAIN-OSA). [Internet] Clinicaltrials.gov. 2025. 
10. A Study of Orforglipron (LY3502970) in Adult Participants With Obesity or Overweight With Weight-Related Comorbidities (ATTAIN-1). [Internet]. clinicaltrials.gov. 2025. 
11. ‌A Study of Once-Daily Oral Orforglipron (LY3502970) in Japanese Adult Participants With Obesity Disease (ATTAIN-J). [Internet]. Clinicaltrials.gov. 2025. ‌
12. GLP-1 Pipeline Update: November 2024 [Internet]. Prime Therapeutics. 2024.