Eli Lilly says once‑daily oral weight‑loss pill could reach UK as soon as 2026

Eli Lilly said a once‑daily oral version of a GLP‑1 weight‑loss medicine could be available in Britain as early as 2026 if regulators approve the drug, a development the company and some clinicians have described as a potential "game‑changer" for people who are reluctant to use injectable therapies.

The medicine, orforglipron, produced average weight losses of 12.4% in a late‑stage clinical trial involving 3,127 adults with obesity or overweight and a weight‑related medical condition, measured over 72 weeks, the company said. Lilly has said it plans to submit orforglipron for regulatory review by the end of the year and is prepared for a global launch if the drug is approved.

Orforglipron targets the same glucagon‑like peptide‑1 (GLP‑1) receptors as widely used injectable drugs such as semaglutide (marketed as Ozempic and Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro), which suppress appetite and promote a feeling of fullness. Unlike those drugs, which are injected, orforglipron is formulated as a pill that can be taken once a day at room temperature and with or without food, Lilly executives said.

Patrik Jonsson, head of Lilly, told reporters he expects the pill could be available "as early as next year" if regulators grant approval. Kenneth Custer, executive vice president and president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health, said the company aims to "transform obesity care by introducing a potential once‑daily oral therapy that could support early intervention and long‑term disease management, while offering a convenient alternative to injectable treatments."

Side effects observed in the trial were similar to those seen with injectable GLP‑1 drugs. About one in four participants reported diarrhoea and roughly one in six reported nausea. Lilly also reported cases of pancreatitis among trial participants. The company said it has not yet finalised pricing for orforglipron but noted oral manufacturing and distribution are generally simpler and less costly than injectables, which could make the pill a lower‑cost option if approved.

Public health experts have described widening access to effective obesity treatments as a priority. Lilly cited the scale of the problem: Kenneth Custer said obesity affects more than one billion people worldwide and is a leading driver of chronic disease burden. The company said an oral therapy could broaden the pool of people willing to start pharmacological treatment for weight management, particularly those who avoid injections.

The announcement comes amid heightened public attention to GLP‑1 medicines and rapid growth in demand. Lilly recently scaled back plans to raise the list price of Mounjaro after negotiating commercial arrangements with pharmacists and private providers intended to maintain affordability for patients. Under those arrangements, the company said, the top dose of Mounjaro will be made available at £247.50—about £100 below a previously proposed list price—with smaller discounts on lower strengths. Lilly said those arrangements were expected to be effective Sept. 1 and to be passed on to patients by participating providers.

The pricing adjustments followed reports of patients stockpiling supplies of Mounjaro amid concerns about rising costs. Manufacturers, regulators and health systems globally are weighing how to manage increased demand for GLP‑1 medicines, their clinical role in long‑term obesity care, and the implications for health budgets.

Lilly executives also described longer‑term ambitions in obesity research. Jonsson said the company is investigating the possibility of a "once‑and‑done" approach to treating obesity—an intervention that would not require ongoing dosing—but he characterised that goal as years away. For now, the company is advancing orforglipron through regulatory channels and preparing for what it described as a potential global launch.

Regulatory timelines and approval decisions will determine when and where the pill becomes available. If regulators accept Lilly's filing and find the drug's benefits outweigh its risks, orforglipron could offer an oral alternative to injections for people with obesity or weight‑related conditions. Health systems will then confront decisions about clinical guidelines, coverage and patient access that have accompanied the rapid uptake of injectable GLP‑1 therapies.