A daily pill could help people maintain weight loss after stopping injectable obesity medications, according to new trial data presented at the European Congress on Obesity 2026 in Istanbul and published in Nature Medicine. The study, funded by Eli Lilly, suggests that orforglipron tablets may reduce the need for long-term medications for diseases associated with obesity.
Researchers followed 376 US patients who had been on tirzepatide (Mounjaro) or semaglutide (Wegovy) injections for 72 weeks. Participants then took either orforglipron or a placebo daily for a year. Those who switched to orforglipron after tirzepatide maintained nearly 75% of their weight loss, compared with 49% for placebo. For semaglutide, patients kept almost 80% of lost weight, versus 38% for placebo.
The pill also helped sustain improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels. Dr Louis Aronne of Weill Cornell Medicine said treating obesity effectively could reduce the need for other cardio-metabolic medications. Dr Marie Spreckley of the University of Cambridge noted that oral therapy offers a convenient alternative for those who cannot or prefer not to continue injections.
About 30% of UK adults are obese, and patients on Wegovy or Mounjaro typically take seven other medications. Dr Simon Cork of Anglia Ruskin University highlighted that oral drugs are cheaper to manufacture, potentially improving NHS access, though more research is needed to confirm long-term benefits.
