April 17 (UPI) -- People diagnosed with type 2 diabetes might benefit soon from Eli Lilly's new orforglipron weight loss drug following its latest clinical testing, the Indianapolis-based drugmaker announced Thursday.
"We are pleased to see that our latest incretin medicine meets our expectations for safety and tolerability, glucose control and weight loss, and we look forward to additional data readouts later this year," Eli Lilly Chairman and Chief Executive Officer David Ricks said in a news release.
"As a convenient once-daily pill, orforglipron may provide a new option and, if approved, could be readily manufactured and launched at scale for use by people around the world."
The drug showed a "superior" ability to lower A1C by between 1.3% and 1.6% from a baseline of 8% when compared to a placebo, Eli Lilly reported.
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Nearly two-thirds of test participants who took the highest dosage of 36 milligrams of orforglipron showed A1C levels that were less than or equal to 6.5%. which is below the American Diabetes Association's threshold for diabetes.
Study participants who took the highest dosage of the drug also lost an average of 16 pounds, which represented a nearly 8% drop in weight.
The drug also proved to be safe, with mild to moderate gastrointestinal-related side effects being the most commonly cited complication. Some study participants also experienced vomiting.
Eli Lilly officials intend to present clinical trial results for orforglipron during the ADA's 85th Scientific Sessions event and publish a study in peer-reviewed journals.
They estimate the drug will be available to treat type 2 diabetes in 2026.
The clinical trial has drawn strong interest within the pharmaceutical industry and could replace injections as the primary method of treating type 2 diabetes by taking an oral pill instead of using needles and syringes.
The drug has helped patients lower their blood sugar as well as body weight, while so far proving to be as safe as injections that type 2 diabetes patients commonly use, Lilly said.
