Five New Oral Obesity Drug Candidates Could Challenge Lilly’s Orforglipron

Five Oral Obesity Candidates, a Competition to Lilly’s Orforglipron

Lilly’s Orforglipron’

The Phase 3 data for Eli Lilly’s early oral GLP-1 therapy, orforglipron, were released last week. The addition of new advancements to the already advanced weight-loss space needs out-of-the-box thinking. In the phase 3 ATTAIN-1 study, orfoglipron therapy revealed an average weight reduction of 12.4% at 72 weeks in comparison to placebo, which is 0.9%. Around 60% of patients with the highest dose lost 10% of their body weight. Lilly successfully achieved a victory for orforglipron. While specifying safety measures like nausea, constipation, and vomiting, Hsieh commented that William Blair still claims orforglipron as a potential therapy that leads to expansion of the market and availing obesity treatment methods to extremely needle-phobic patients.

Promising Oral Obesity Candidates

Novo Nordisk’s amycretin is a closely watched drug class (oral amylin analogs). The pharma is uplifting amycretin as a multi-choice drug as a pill and a subcutaneous injection. Though injections are still under the mid-stage development process, and pills are in early-stage studies. Inspired by Lilly’s efforts, Viking Therapeutics introduced VK2735, which reflects similarity to Lilly’s excellent drug Zepbound. VK2735 is reliable for subcutaneous injection. Roche's contribution to the obesity space with its $2.7 billion acquisition of Carmot Therapeutics in December 2023 is a valuable asset to the obesity space. The purchase granted Roche three clinical-stage leading GLP-1 assets that pharma confirmed to be a potential best-in-class therapy for obesity.

To the already fueled GLP-1s race terns pharmaceuticals have joined in with their developing TERN-601. Tern’s thoughtful classification of molecules regarding their clinical profile idea, with the help of its proprietary 3D model of the GLP-1 receptor, is a smart move. Rhythm Pharmaceuticals Bivamelagon, one of the low-key discovered pathways for obesity, is one of the assets on the list.

Views and Statements

The global investment banking and asset management firm, William Blair, stated, “Orforglipron is a de facto leader in the vast market’s oral obesity push, also an excellent compound in this therapeutic category.”

Managing director of equity research at Mizuho Securities, Graig Suvannavejh, agreed, saying, “Oral obesity therapies will be a game changer in the future. Unlike injections, oral doesn’t have much learning curve for patients to opt for self-apply. Doctors traditionally prefer prescribing oral which is convenient for patients to get from pharmacies, and injections require a specialist. The oral small-molecule drugs are easy to manufacture, which might reduce prices and increase accessibility.”