The short answer
A daily oral GLP-1 receptor treatment produced more weight loss than placebo in ATTAIN-1. It is a different molecule from oral semaglutide.
What was tested?
The trial randomly assigned 3,127 adults with obesity and without diabetes to orforglipron 6, 12 or 36 mg, or placebo, for 72 weeks. Healthy diet and physical activity accompanied treatment.
Percent of starting weight
Original chart based on the study. Values are reported group results.
| Group or measure | Result |
|---|---|
| Orforglipron 6 mg | −7.5% |
| Orforglipron 12 mg | −8.4% |
| Orforglipron 36 mg | −11.2% |
| Placebo | −2.1% |
What changed?
Average weight changes were −7.5%, −8.4% and −11.2% across the three orforglipron doses, versus −2.1% with placebo. These estimates included participants regardless of treatment discontinuation.
Adverse events caused 5.3%–10.3% in the orforglipron groups to stop treatment, versus 2.7% with placebo. The most common side effects were digestive and mostly mild or moderate.
The useful takeaway
Oral treatment is an important research direction for people interested in options beyond injections. But this trial did not compare orforglipron with semaglutide, tirzepatide or another active treatment. The percentages cannot settle which option is best for an individual.
Sources
Wharton and colleagues, New England Journal of Medicine, 2025. Funded by Eli Lilly. Read the paper.