A Daily Pill Could Help Keep Weight Off After Stopping Obesity Jabs. #WeightLoss #BBCNews
Why It Matters
Orthogon offers a cheaper, oral alternative to sustain weight‑loss after GLP‑1 injections, potentially reshaping obesity management and lowering long‑term healthcare costs.
Key Takeaways
- •Daily pill Orthogon maintains 70% weight loss after GLP‑1 injections.
- •Study of 376 U.S. patients shows pill outperforms placebo (38‑50%).
- •Orthogon mimics appetite‑suppressing hormone, similar mechanism to GLP‑1 jabs.
- •Side effects mild: nausea, constipation, diarrhea; no serious safety signals.
- •Monthly cost $149, far cheaper than $1,000+ GLP‑1 injectables.
Summary
A new oral medication, Orthogon, is being positioned as a follow‑up therapy for patients who have stopped GLP‑1 weight‑loss injections such as semaglutide. The pill aims to preserve the weight loss achieved during the injectable phase.
In a randomized, placebo‑controlled trial of 376 U.S. adults who had previously lost weight on GLP‑1 jabs, 70 % of those taking Orthogon retained their loss, compared with only 38‑50 % in the placebo arm. The drug works by mimicking a natural hormone that curbs appetite, delivering a similar physiological effect to the injectables.
The study, funded by Eli Lilly—the maker of the GLP‑1 products—reported mostly mild adverse events, including nausea, constipation and diarrhea. Orthogon is already on the U.S. market at roughly $149 per month, dramatically cheaper than the $1,000‑plus price tag of injectable GLP‑1 therapies, and could soon launch in the UK.
If the early results hold, Orthogon could become a cost‑effective, long‑term maintenance option, potentially extending the benefits of obesity treatment and reducing the risk of weight regain. However, regulators will likely demand longer‑term data to determine optimal treatment duration, which some analysts suspect may be indefinite.
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