Goodbye injections: Weight-loss GLP-1 pills may be on the horizon
Drugmaker Eli Lilly has filed for regulatory approval on a new weight loss pill, which has proved popular in the form of an injection.
In recent years GLP-1 medications have proved a popular weight-loss drug, but there have largely been available as an expensive and difficult to use injection. Now, that could be about to change.
On Tuesday pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly requested global regulatory approval on a new GLP-1 medication in the form of a pill. The move comes after trial results suggested that the ground-breaking pill serves as an effective GLP-1 receptor agonist.
Eli Lilly already makes injectable drugs Zepbound (obesity) and Mounjaro and Trulicity (diabetes) and is looking to expand its offering. The only GLP-1 pill currently on the market is Rybelsus, but that comes with diet restrictions that ensure that it is taken on an empty stomach first thing in the morning. The Eli Lilly version has no such restrictions.
This type of GLP-1 drug works by helping to control blood sugar in the body by stimulating the pancreas to release insulin. It suppresses the release of a hormone that creates feelings of hunger, helping to make patients cut down on food intake.
The GLP-1 drug Zepbound recently made headlines when tennis legend Serena Williams revealed that she had used it to lose weight. Now a spokesperson for pharmaceutical company Ro, Williams said that she had been “training five hours a day” and “running, walking, biking, stair climbing,” but struggled with her weight.
Her admission was treated with skepticism by some, who noted that she is now in a commercial partnership with a company who profits from these GLP-1 drugs. However it does show that these treatments are becoming increasingly common and will likely continue to grow.
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