New GLP-1 pill delivers up to 12% weight loss in 36 weeks

A recent clinical trial published in Nature Medicine revealed that a new oral GLP-1 treatment called aleniglipron can help adults with obesity or overweight lose up to 12% of their body weight over a 36-week period. Developed by Structure Therapeutics, aleniglipron is a small-molecule drug taken by mouth, rather than the injectable peptide-based GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide, which are sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy.

Existing injectable GLP-1 medications are highly effective but come with disadvantages such as injection requirements, storage challenges, and difficulties in large-scale manufacturing. Aleniglipron's small-molecule structure allows it to be taken orally and may be easier to produce at scale. In the randomized phase II trial, 230 adults aged 50 years on average were assigned to three dose groups of aleniglipron (45, 90, or 120 milligrams) or placebo.

Over the 36-week treatment period, participants showed significant weight loss, with an average reduction of 9.0% in the lowest dose group, 10.7% in the middle dose group, and 12.1% in the highest dose group. The placebo group had a negligible change of -0.5%. Common gastrointestinal side effects were generally mild to moderate and decreased in frequency as the study progressed.

No participants discontinued due to drug-induced liver injury. The trial's results support further development of aleniglipron as an obesity treatment, with plans to conduct a phase III trial to assess its long-term effectiveness and tolerability. The research was supported by Structure Therapeutics.