5 New Weight-Loss Drugs to Watch in Race for the Next Ozempic

Already, scientists have shown that GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide can lower the risk of heart attack and stroke, reduce signs of kidney and liver disease and treat sleep apnea, among other effects. Scientists have also uncovered hints that semaglutide and its relatives could tamp down addiction and even cut the risk of certain cancers. The present study results revealed a significant delay in alcohol’s effects in cases compared to controls. Specifically, the former cohort’s BrAC levels rose much more slowly than in the control group, with observed between-group differences being most pronounced in the first 20 minutes. A Novo Nordisk executive told Reuters that projections from the data suggest it could help people lose even more, up to 25% of their weight, over a longer timeline.

GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic may slow how quickly alcohol hits the bloodstream

• New clinical trials show that orforglipron and another oral drug help people with obesity lose weight.
• They need to be injected (a draw-back for some patients), that injection must be administered once a week for effects to last, and manufacturers struggled to keep up with demand.
• The idea is that it promotes weight loss by not only curbing appetite, but also burning more calories.

Participants were randomized to receive either 6, 12, or 36 milligrams of orforglipron or a placebo pill. The lowest dose of orforglipron resulted in less than 8 percent loss of body weight, or about 18 pounds, and the middle dose led to a 9 percent reduction, or 21 pounds. In comparison, the injectable version of Wegovy led to an average weight loss of 15% of body weight after 68 weeks in a previous study, according to the company. In a phase 3 study of adults in China who were overweight or had obesity, researchers found that after 48 weeks, a 6-milligram dose of the drug led to an average body weight reduction of 14.4%.

Researchers are now trying new ozempic experimental glp-1 drug out ways to mix these drugs with others to make them even safer and work better. New forms of taking these medications, like easy-to-swallow pills and long-lasting injections, promise to be more convenient, which could help more people benefit from modern weight loss solutions. In a recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, the pill lowered blood sugar levels and weight in people with type 2 diabetes.

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The weight loss effects of semaglutide have led to its approval for obesity treatment under the brand name Wegovy. Clinical studies have shown that patients using semaglutide for obesity can achieve significant and sustained weight loss, improving their overall health and reducing the risk of obesity-related complications. Researchers found that patients who got the highest dose of the drug lost on average 15.6% of their body weight after 48 weeks, compared to the 2.2% body weight loss seen in patients who got a placebo. In similar trials, semaglutide was shown to reduce body weight by around 15% after 68 weeks. Novo Nordisk has a GLP-1 pill for diabetes, Rybelsus, but it’s not as effective for weight loss as injectable versions and was never approved for weight management. A challenge with developing a more effective pill has been how to improve its bioavailability—the amount of drug that enters circulation and has an active effect.

Ozempic and the Potential of GLP-1 Drugs

Study findings revealed that participants taking GLP-1 RAs showed a significantly delayed rise in both breath alcohol concentration and feelings of intoxication compared to a control group. These observations are consistent with a peripheral mechanism, possibly involving delayed gastric emptying, that may blunt alcohol’s immediate effects. Their drug orforglipron appeals to patients who can’t or don’t want to use injected medications.

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Much like current GLP-1 injections, oral orforglipron was well tolerated, with the main side-effects being gastrointestinal-related and mild-to-moderate severity. Importantly, treatment discontinuation on all three doses was lower than those taking the placebo. When people took the Wegovy pill exactly as they should, their average weight loss increased to 16.6% in the trial.

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That effect is about the same as what was seen in separate trials of Ozempic and Mounjaro, another GLP-1, The New York Times reported. An experimental pill may work just as well as injectable, Ozempic-style drugs at treating type 2 diabetes, early trial results suggest. A pill like orforglipron requires no injector pen and no refrigeration and it’s relatively easy to manufacture, Drucker says — all of which should cut costs. “One would hope,” he says, “that some of that reduced expense would be passed on to consumers.” Today, injectable GLP-1 medications can run about $500 per month for patients paying out-of-pocket. It’s too early to know how much the pill will cost or how insurance companies might cover it, a Lilly spokesperson said.

It is also expected to be cheaper, since it’s easier to produce (orforglipron isn’t a peptide like other GLP-1 drugs). The detailed results will be presented next month at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) Annual Meeting 2025, before being published in a peer-reviewed journal for closer scrutiny. So too will the results of the Phase III clinical trial assessing orforglipron in treating type 2 diabetes. Now, the US drug maker is set to apply for global approval of orforglipron by the end of 2025, meaning it’s likely to be the first oral weight-loss drug in this class and likely to be on offer in the new year. The company is calling the medication the “Wegovy pill” for weight management and has submitted it for approval to the U.S.

The weight loss achieved by the Wegovy pill in the new study is a little lower than with injectables, but “still a really, really good number,” she noted. More options could also help alleviate the shortages seen in the U.S. with Novo Nordisk’s and Lilly’s weight loss drugs. Expanding the number of weight loss drugs available is important for several reasons, experts say.

• These results strongly support the need for larger, randomized clinical trials to confirm these effects and explore the potential of repurposing GLP-1 RAs as a novel treatment for reducing harmful alcohol consumption.
• Additionally, these drugs inhibit glucagon release, slow gastric emptying, and promote satiety, which helps in reducing caloric intake and body weight.
• Uniquely, retatrutide has an additional effect, mimicking another hormone called glucagon, which may help increase the body’s energy use.
• The FDA approved Rybelsus, an oral version of semaglutide manufactured by the drug company Novo Nordisk, in 2019.
• Both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are hoping to get approval for their respective pills in 2026, Azar said.

GLP-1 medications work, in part, by slowing down how quickly food passes through the stomach, leading people to feel fuller longer. In several of the upcoming weight loss drugs, a different hormone called glucagon is in the spotlight. Glucagon is a key blood-sugar-regulating hormone that can mimic the effects of exercise. Lilly said it would seek approval from the Food and Drug Administration later this year to market orforglipron for obesity and early in 2026 for diabetes, The New York Times reported.

They bind to GLP-1 receptors on pancreatic beta cells, stimulating insulin secretion in response to elevated blood glucose levels. Additionally, these drugs inhibit glucagon release, slow gastric emptying, and promote satiety, which helps in reducing caloric intake and body weight. Looking ahead, the proven success of these weight loss drugs is paving the way for treatments that are tailored just for you.

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Eli Lilly, which makes Zepbound and the diabetes version Mounjaro, has two more GLP-1 drugs in development. These are not direct comparisons because the drugs weren’t compared in a head-to-head clinical trial. Researchers are also exploring the benefits of combining GLP-1 receptor agonists with other therapeutic agents. Combination therapies may enhance treatment efficacy, target multiple metabolic pathways, and offer personalized treatment options for patients with complex metabolic disorders.

The drug contains the GLP-1 hormone, a key ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, in addition to glucagon. We are at a critical time and supporting science journalism is more important than ever. Science News and our parent organization, the Society for Science, need your help to strengthen scientific literacy and ensure that important societal decisions are made with science in mind. The next breakthrough drug may not be available until at least 2027, but the leading candidates in production give a good sense of what this market could look like in years to come. It’s cheaper to manufacture and transport a pill than the injectables, which cost more than $1,000 a month. Both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are hoping to get approval for their respective pills in 2026, Azar said.

After 40 weeks, the trial runners checked everyone’s blood sugar levels using an A1C test, which can reveal average blood-sugar levels from the preceding three months. The test gives results as a percentage, with 6.5% or higher typically indicating diabetes and 5.7% to 6.4% signaling prediabetes. Following exenatide, researchers focused on developing longer-acting GLP-1 receptor agonists to improve patient convenience and adherence. These early formulations laid the groundwork for the development of even more effective and convenient drugs like semaglutide (Ozempic), which can be administered once weekly.