Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) said that data from its study showed that its oral GLP-1 drug, orforglipron, was more effective against Novo Nordisk’s (NVO) oral semaglutide in adults with type 2 diabetes.
The study, which involved 1,698 adults with type 2 diabetes who were not managing their condition well with metformin, lasted for 52 weeks and included participants receiving different doses of orforglipron (12 mg and 36 mg) and oral semaglutide (7 mg and 14 mg).
The company said that after a year, orforglipron showed significant benefits, meeting all main goals set for the study. It resulted in better blood sugar control and weight loss compared to oral semaglutide.
Specifically, those taking the highest dose of orforglipron experienced a drop in their blood sugar levels by 2.2%, while those on oral semaglutide saw a decrease of 1.4%.
The data suggested that participants on the highest dose of orforglipron also lost an average of 19.7 pounds (9.2%), compared to 11.0 pounds (5.3%) for those on oral semaglutide. This represents a notable improvement of 73.6% in weight loss for orforglipron.
The study also confirmed that orforglipron was safe and well-tolerated, consistent with findings from earlier trials. However, it did not compare saftey between the two treatments, the company noted.
“While Eli Lilly currently holds stronger momentum in the GLP-1 market, the launch of both companies’ oral GLP-1 therapies could reshape the competitive dynamics between them,” SA analyst Ragmar Rikberg mentioned regarding the ongoing rivalry between the two companies.