It seems like there will soon be an easy-to-use alternative to Ozempic and Mounjaro, as recent studies have revealed that it could be 'transformative' for the industry.
The popularity around GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro can't be understated, with the medication becoming a popular method for those looking to shed the pounds.
Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer behind Ozempic and Wegovy, has highlighted that Ozempic is primarily for adults with Type 2 diabetes, not for weight loss, while Wegovy and Mounjaro (the brand name for tirzepatide from Eli Lilly) can be prescribed by the NHS for weight loss.
While these are often administered by injection, there may soon be an easier way to take the medication in the form of a pill.
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But just how will this pill differ from the injectable medication?
What is the new alternative to GLP-1 injections?
Several users have reported unexpected side effects while using GLP-1 drugs, but it hasn't stopped the masses from using them to help them lose weight.
But this new wave of medicine could be more impactful health-wise and far easier to use - pills with the same effects could be introduced as soon as 2026.
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More potent injections are also potentially on the table, while solutions with fewer side effects or drugs to be taken just once a month could be introduced sooner rather than later.
Mounjaro's manufacturer, Eli Lilly, announced in September that their goal was to 'offer a convenient, once-daily pill that can be scaled globally', which would be named 'Orforglipron', which will be taken once a year with no restrictions on food and drink.
Initial tests revealed that it lowered weight by 10.5 per cent on average, compared to 22 per cent with a placebo.
This seemingly outperformed Novo Nordisk's oral semaglutide in a year-long trial, as Orforglipron delivered an average weight loss of 9.2 per cent, while Ozempic's was 5.3 per cent, according to the Washington Post.
What are the differences between GLP-1 injections and pills?
Costs less
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If approved by the FDA, both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly will launch once-a-day weight-loss pills by next year, which wouldn't require refrigeration, already shaving costs from transporting injectable medications.
They will supposedly cost less, too, with Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill more likely to arrive for patients first, as the company expects to hear back by the end of the year, ahead of an expected early 2026 launch, according to The Washington Post.
Less effective
The other worry is that the pills may not work as effectively as injectable GLP-1 drugs, with clinical trials over the course of a year revealing that participants taking each drug lost around 11 to 14 per cent of their body weight.
In comparison, the most effective drugs given via injection resulted in participants having a 15 to 20 per cent weight loss.
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Less side-effects
Louis Aronne, director of the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medicine, said that a new drug from Eli Lilly, which may target three hormones which cue the brain to stop eating, and that it could be 'a better compound', resulting in fewer side effects such as less loss of lean muscle and fewer stomach-related side effects.
What have experts said?
David Lau, an endocrinologist and professor emeritus at the University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine, explained: “With this newer generation of medications, we’re not just focusing on weight loss. We’re talking about changes beyond what you see on the scale."
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He further pointed out the increase in accessibility, adding: "Some people are afraid of using needles and giving themselves injections."
Meanwhile, Sean Wharton, a physician in Toronto and the lead author of key papers on oral GLP-1 drugs published in September, pointed out: “What Henry Ford did with the car wasn’t to make a better car. He just made more of them and made them more accessible.”
Eli Lilly Chief Scientific Officer Dan Skovronsky said of their upcoming pill: “For the majority of patients, this could be the main medicine that they need to control their Type 2 diabetes as well as their obesity.”
A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk told LADbible: “We are working closely with the FDA to ensure we can bring Wegovy® in a pill (oral semaglutide), the first oral GLP-1 RA for obesity, to the US early next year. In addition, in September 2025, Novo Nordisk submitted oral semaglutide 25 mg to the EMA. Pending approval, Novo Nordisk is considering launching oral semaglutide 25 mg in select EU markets.”
LADbible Group has contacted Eli Lilly for comment.
Joshua Nair