Two groundbreaking drugs for the treatment of obesity are expected to hit the market in the coming years, offering significant advantages over existing medications, including the current weight-loss community superstar, Ozempic.
Orforglipron, the first drug, boasts enhanced usability, cost-effectiveness and simplified production. The second drug, retatrutide, exhibits an unparalleled level of effectiveness, potentially setting a new standard for pharmacological obesity treatment.
Phase II clinical trial results for orforglipron and retatrutide were recently presented at a meeting of the American Diabetes Association and published in the New England Journal of Medicine. These trials provided valuable efficacy and dosage data based on a small group of participants.
Endocrinologist Daniel Drucker from the University of Toronto, who was not involved in the research, hailed both drugs as breakthroughs after examining the findings.
Both drugs mimic gut hormones that regulate food passage and appetite by acting on receptors in the brain. As part of the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists class, they were initially developed for diabetes treatment but have proven effective for weight loss as well.
In recent years, two GLP-1 receptor agonists — trizepatide (Mounjaro) and semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy) — have entered the market, showcasing substantial weight loss benefits. Trizepatide is approved for diabetes treatment, while semaglutide is available for both diabetes and obesity.
However, Wegovy and Mounjaro require weekly injections and belong to the costly peptide molecule category, making production labor-intensive and expensive. Orforglipron, on the other hand, is a non-peptide compound that can be easily manufactured as a pill, making it more affordable. Internal-medicine physician
Sean Wharton, co-author of the orforglipron study, said it will be a game-changer in an article discussing the results of both trials published in the journal Nature.
While…
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